Exploring the growing Ethiopian Film production
Since the mid-2000s, Ethiopia has witnessed the rapid growth of a local digital film industry which has importantly revived cinema-going culture in the country and created unexpected avenues of economic achievement within the field of cultural production. Films are independently funded and commercially-driven, use Amharic as main language and target local and diasporic audiences. They are firstly released in the large cinema theatres that characterize Ethiopian main cities’ urban landscape, and later circulate via VCDs and internet. They are highly popular among the urban youth, and are mostly of the comedy and romantic genre. While many films are message-driven and have a rather didactic structure, some of them produce a social and moral commentary which portrays, and in some cases criticizes, the way the Ethiopian society is transforming over the past few years. In many ways, they are a window into the way the Ethiopian society perceives and represents itself today.
While highly popular with Ethiopian urban audiences, these films tend to be invisible to the community of expatriates living in the country. This retrospective thus intends to address this gap by presenting a small selection of recent Amharic films (subtitled in English) that can represent the different thematic and aesthetic tendencies emerging within the Ethiopian film production landscape. Michel Leulseged’s Yematibel Wof, the first film in the program, is a small-budget romantic drama which well represents one of the dominant genres in contemporary Ethiopian films, while introducing a number of important innovations such as a particular focus on the lower classes of Addis Ababa’s society and a specific concern for socially relevant issues such as health care and unemployment. Paulos Regassa’s Ashenge is one of the very few historical films independently produced in Ethiopia since the explosion of digital production. It focuses on the Italian occupation and the years that followed Haile Selassie’s return in the country, and it perfectly shows the potential the film medium has for the expression of critical perspectives on the way the Ethiopian society elaborates its past. Yidnekachew Shumete Desalegn’s Nishan, awarded in the categories of best film, best cinematography and best director during the 2013’s Ethiopian International Film Festival, is a medium/high-budget thriller film which touches upon numerous relevant issues, including migration, urban violence and the elaboration of the country’s past. This film, together with the last film in the program, Zelalem Woldemariam’s Lezare, a well crafted short film which has received numerous international awards at festivals in Africa, Europe and the US, rightly represents the segment of the industry that is investing in higher technical and aesthetic standards in order to target international film festivals and pan-African film distribution.
Beyond film screenings, the last day of the program also includes a round table during which a number of key industry players will be invited to debate the main challenges of making films in Ethiopia and explore the potential for future development of the industry.
Each film screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the film director.
Program:
Tuesday the 11th of February, 18h 30
Yematibel Wof, Michel Leulseged (feature film, Ahmaric with English subtitiles, 2013) + Q&A with the film director
Synopsis: Robel and Roman are close friends, they work in the same place and spend most of the time together. But Robel has inner conflicts about the nature of his relationship with Roman, and her father’s illness makes them come to the surface. He will have to face multiple challenges to make his love dream come true.
Wednesday the 12th of February, 18h 30
Ashenge, Paulos Regassa (feature film, Amharic with English subtitles, 2007) + Q&A with the film director
Synopsis: On the eve of the Second World War about one hundred fifty Italians aircrafts bombarded the northern part of Ethiopia with poisonous gas. On March the 6th 1936 the town of Ashenge was shocked by an atrocious mass murder which changed the life of Kassa forever. During the Italian occupation, the Ethiopian patriots fought to restore people’s freedom but few Ethiopians collaborated with the enemy, creating seemingly insurmountable challenges to the freedom fight. To overcome these years of agony, Serke must deal face-to-face with the man responsible for heinous killing of both her parents.
Thursday the 13th of February, 18h 30
Nishan, Yidnekachew Shumete Desalegn (feature film, Amharic with English subtitles, 2013) + Q&A with the film director
Synopsis: Nishan is a young business woman who dreams of leaving Ethiopia to seek her fortune abroad. When her father mortgages the house to support her emigration, an unsigned document creates a disastrous domino effect. Entangled in a web of deceit and danger, Nishan must navigate through these ordeals to preserve her independence, protect her family, and realize her ambitions for a better life.
Friday the 14th of February 18h 30
Lezare, Zelalem Woldemariam (short film, Amharic with English subtitles, 2010) + Q&A with the film director
Synopsis: Lezare is a revealing and touching story about a homeless boy in a small village in southern Ethiopia, using beautiful visuals to deliver a powerful message about global warming and shortsightedness.
19h 15: “Making films in Ethiopia: Challenges and future perspectives”, round-table
Invited speakers (to be confirmed): Abraham Hailu (cinematographer, founder of the Blue Nile International film Festival), Tewdros Teshome (producer and owner of Sebastopol cinemas, president of the Ethiopian Film Producers Association), Yirgashewa Teshome (actor, founder of the Ethiopian International Film Festival), Thomas Getachew (producer, vice president of the Ethiopian Film Producers Association), Tesfaye Mamo (filmmaker, former president of the Ethiopian Filmmakers Association), Menelik Mered (chairman of the Allatinos Association). Moderator: Alessandro Jedlowski (film and media scholar)