Ethiopian Film Initiative
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Indian Documentary Film Festival from June 15-19, 2009
The Embassy of India is organizing an Indian Documentary Film Festival from June 15-19, 2009, at the Italian Cultural Institute. During this Festival, a number of documentary films on subjects like elections in India, India’s cooperation with Africa including its efforts at capacity building, India’s rich cultural heritage, India’s efforts in the space research & satellite launching and other subjects of topical interest will be shown.
On the inaugural day on Monday, June 15, 2009, a documentary on “Elections in India – A Mammoth Democratic Exercise” will be shown. The documentary film depicts how this mammoth exercise is undertaken by the Election Commission of India. In addition, another documentary “Pather Panchali” will also be shown.
PROGRAMME
INDIAN DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, JUNE 15-19, 2009 AT THE ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE, ADDIS ABABA
Monday, June 15, 2009
1830 hrs. Inauguration of the Documentary Film Festival by lighting of traditional lamp
1835 hrs. Opening Remarks by H.E. Mr. Gurjit Singh, Ambassador of India to Ethiopia and Djibouti
1840 hrs. Inaugural address by the Chief Guest
1845 hrs. “Elections in India – A Mammoth Democratic Exercise”, (34 minutes)
General Elections concluded in India in April-May 2009. The film depicts how this mammoth exercise is undertaken by the Election Commission of India.
1920 hrs. “Pather Panchali” (30 minutes)
“Pather Panchali” is one of the greatest Indian films made. The documentary tries to explain the contemporaneity of the film even after fifty years.
1950 hrs. Reception
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
1830 hrs. “Musical Bands of India”, (31 minutes)
The documentary depicts musical traditions of India epitomizing unity in diversity with music from various parts of the country
1900 hrs. “Back to Gondwanaland” (38 minutes)
The documentary speaks about timeless bonds of friendship that India has with Africa and tries to discover India’s evolutionary heritage
Wednesday, June 17, 200
1830 hrs. “The Story of Gitanjali” (30 minutes)
A documentary based on Rabindranath Tagore’s collection of poems which he translated into English. The documentary speaks about how Rabindranath won the Nobel Prize for Literature
1900 hrs. “Ismat and Annie” (28 minutes)
Story of two people who contributed to Indian literary landscape despite turmoil in their personal lives, evoking nostalgia in India and other countries who have cultural similarities with India
Thursday, June 18, 2009
1830 hrs. “The Sky is not the Limit” (31 minutes)
The documentary revolves around the work of Department of Space and Indian Space Research Organization and India’s achievements in the field of launching indigenous remote sensing satellites
1900 hrs. “Dismantling the Digital Divide”, (38 minutes)
The documentary showcases the progress made by India to use technology to transform the rural poor and underprivileged
Friday, June 19, 2009
1830 hrs. “Friends for Evermore” (27 minutes)
The documentary depicts India’s contribution in the capacity building of Africa, Latin America and other countries through ITEC programme which results in building bridges
1900 hrs. “A Short History of Indian Spices” (30 minutes)
The documentary seeks to approach various aspects of Indian history, society and culture through the evocative lens of spices
Conclusion of Documentary Film Festival |
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The 4th Ethiopian International Film Festival |
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World Cinema coming to Ethiopia
The 4th Ethiopian International Film Festival (EIFF) festival - by the theme LOST AND FOUND - will be held from 23-29 November 2009 at National Theatre, Addis Ababa City Hall, Italian Culture Institute and Imperial Hotel under the theme LOST AND FOUND
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Teza, the winner of this year's FESPACO (African Oscar Award), by Ethiopian born director Haile Gerima was premiered at the National Theatre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Only Edna Mall, a three purpose-built cinema complex has got the nod to screen the film since the premiering.
Thousands of people have watched Teza at Edna Mall (Matti Multiplex). The opening at the National Theater with its location at the centre of the Capital will benefit many traveling from northern and western parts of Addis.
According to the current schedule, Teza will show only on Saturdays at 6 pm every week.
More about Teza - 2008 (140 minutes)
The return of the African intellectual Anberber to his native country during the repressive Marxist regime of Haile Mariam Mengistu and the recognition of his own displacement and powerlessness at the dissolution of his people's humanity and social values. After several years spent studying medicine in Germany, Anberber returns to Ethiopia only to find the country of his youth replaced by turmoil. His dream of using his craft to improve the health of Ethiopians is squashed by a military junta that uses scientists for their own political ends. Seeking the comfort of his countryside home, Anberber finds no refuge from violence. The solace that the memories of his youth provide is quickly replaced by the competing forces of military and rebelling factions. Anberber needs to decide whether he wants to bear the strain or piece together a life from the fragments that lay around him. Written by Venice Film Festival
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Abay Vs Vegas: pioneer for red one technology |
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Review by Tibebeselassie Tigabu
The highly anticipated film "Abay Vs Vegas" premiered on Sunday 19 December 2010, contemporaneously at 18 cinemas in Ethiopia. Directed by Teodros Teshome, who also appears as an actor in the movie, the film depicts the story of Mena who is caught up between two worlds: saving her blind brother or deserting the love of her life.
Shot with both Ethiopian and Hollywood film crews, "Abay Vs Vegas" is the first Ethiopian film to be shot with the sophisticated RED ONE camera - considered the digital successor to 35 mm film, with over 5 times the resolution of other HD video cameras and a new technology for Ethiopia - making it a huge deal for many viewers.
The main venue was the National Theatre in Addis Ababa, but in addition to Addis cinemas, the film was also screened in Bahir Dar, Dessie and Jimma. The premiere was also shown live on Ethiopian Television.
The story is dramatic: Mena, a girl from the city of Bahir Dar in Northern Ethiopia, meets Salsawi, an Ethio-American played by director Teshome. Salsawi eagerly wants to find a wife before reaching the age of 40, and they agree to marry. Mena´s life path appears to change dramatically. And it seems almost too good to be true as it will also enable Mena to help her brother – who had been looking after her before turning blind. Suddenly it is within reach for him to go abroad and get his eyesight back.
But it all gets very complicated when Mena falls in love with Nigus, a farmer from the area of the Blue Nile Waterfall, Tis Abay.
Mena has to take a very hard decision: will she choose the love of her life or marry Salsawi and go to the United States to help her brother?
The reactions to the premiere differed:
Many in the audience were enthusiastic: “I loved the film, the story and also the music score. More than anything I like the characterization and the actors played it well,” states Tigist Belete. “The performances were excellent and the images so crystal clear”, agrees Almaz Tegegne.
However, the technical expectations were high, especially among people from the film and related industries: “RED ONE camera is the latest technology in the world so I expected the film to be great but I was disappointed. On the technical part the color is not constant, the sound is not clear. When you come to the story, it is fragmented. This film is a proof that the director couldn’t use the technology appropriately,” says IT expert Kebede Lemma.
The film was shot both in Ethiopia and America. In the view of another of the premiere-goers, Girma Dereje, the scenes which were shot in the United States were somehow better than the ones set in Ethiopia. Girma also thinks the hype and the media coverage the film got before it was premiered influenced his high expectations which weren’t totally met.
Even if Theodros Teshome, who also wrote and produced the movie, doesn’t want to reveal the budget of the film, he spent 300,000 birr (about 18,000 USD) for promotion only. The RED ONE camera cost him 62,000 USD and he brought expertise from Hollywood including Director of Photography & Editor Mathias Schubert and Production Designer Stephanie Burain.
Theodros has previously directed several Amharic movies including Fikir Siferd, Kezkaza Wolafen and Key Sitet (Red Mistake).
"Abay Vs Vegas" is now showing in all cinemas of Addis. The cast, in addition to Theodros Teshome (Salsawi), includes famous actor Solomon Bogale (Nigus), Blen Mamo (Mena), Rekik Teshome, Girum Ermias, Tesfa Birhane, Mestawet Aragaw, Wolela Asefa and Tesfaye Sima.
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