This year’s line-up includes the special screening of historical film with exclusive screening of Ethiopia’s first black and white movie
FOLLOWING IT’S creation two years ago Ethiopian Film Week has gone from ‘strength to strength’ according to Tigist Kebede, Operations Director of habeshaview.
The multi-faceted media, entertainment and advanced technology company’s much-anticipated Ethiopian Film Week is set to return to London for its third year this month with a line-up of original and acclaimed Ethiopian films.
Kicking off on October 14, the screenings will take place at RichMix Cinema in East London and will feature three independent films from Ethiopia.
The star of this year’s line-up will be the world premiere of the historical Ethiopian film, ኂሩትአባቷማንነዉ? (Hirut AbatwaMannew?), which is being screened outside Ethiopia for the first time.
Translating to “Hirut, who is her father?”, the film, which is Ethiopia’s first black and white 35mm movie, tells the story of a young woman who overcomes many challenges including the stigma of being a single mother and is forced to fend for herself in the conservative society of Ethiopia in the mid-60s.
Kebede said: “Ethiopian Film Week has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2020 and has become a firm favourite of the Ethiopian community in the UK.
“So, following our previous successes, we are delighted to be working with RichMix Cinema once again to present this year’s line-up of three Ethiopian films.
“This year, we are also working closely with the Addis Abeba Cinema Administration Agency, who have graciously agreed for us to take Ethiopia’s first black and white film, Hirut AbatwaMannew?, out of Ethiopia for the first time.
“We are truly honoured to be able to bring this iconic film to the UK 57 years after it was first shot and hope that the Ethiopian community in the UK and the British public will appreciate just what Ethiopian cinema has to offer by joining us in celebrating our local filmmakers and actors.
“Ethiopia has a long history of filmmaking, and the film industry is rapidly evolving.
“There are so many amazing actors, filmmakers, and directors, and through habeshaview, we hope to use our platform to showcase their incredible, untapped talents and create a space where they can exhibit their work.”
The recent rediscovery of Hirut, which is also considered Ethiopia’s first feature-length film, 57 years
after it was produced, has generated significant interest in Ethiopia and abroad. In Ethiopia, there
was an exclusive screening at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Abeba.
In London, the film screening will take place on October 15 in the presence of VIPs and dignitaries, guests, representatives of the Government and the Ethiopian community.
Saturday’s programme will also include special industry guests from Ethiopia who will take part in a Q&A session after the screening.
Also screening during the three-day event will be Simet, a historical drama set in the famous one-
hundred-year war of the princes (Zemene Mesafint) in mid-18th and 19th century Ethiopia, and Rees
Felagi, a story of the journey taken by three friends who graduate from university but find themselves jobless in the city of Addis Abeba.
