Ethiopian film wins ‘African Oscar’

“Teza”, an Ethiopian film about the brutal Marxist regime of former president Mengistu Haile Mariam wins this year’s top prize at Africa’s film festival held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Directed by Ethiopian Born and current Howard University professor Haile Gerima, the film was the unanimous choice for this year’s Golden Stallion of Yenenga, the award for best film.

The story is of an Ethiopian scientists who goes to Germany to further his studies with the hope of transforming the country with all his newly acquired knowledge, filled with idealism, only to return to a country ruled by the iron fist of a Dictator.

It deals with big themes such as emigration and dictatorship, racism and war, also the position of women in Ethiopian society — but Gerima manages not to preach to his audience.

As the director could not be in the Burkina Faso capital to pick up the award himself, it was accepted on his behalf by his sister Selome Gerima, who co-produced the film.

“Haile asked me to convey his hapiness,” she said upon accepting the award.

In an interview with AFP, Selome Gerima, detailed the story of her and her brother’s 14 year struggle of bringing the epic story to the big screen. The movie has since played to packed out audiences since its premiere on January 3rd.

“It is a very sensitive film and it makes you remember what it was like (under Megistu). Many people have forgotten but when they see the film they remember. When we show the film people come up to us afterwards to tell us, ‘I’ve lost my brother’ and so on.”

Thousands of filmmakers, actors and film lovers from all over the continent have descended on the dusty capital of Burkina Faso over the past week for the festivals 21st edition.

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