Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Monday, December 8th, 2013
Los Angeles (TADIAS) – The Los Angeles premiere of the award-winning film and Ethiopia’s official Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film, Difret, opens on Friday, December 12th at Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills. Organizers note that the film will play for one week only with 5:00pm shows everyday. The cast and crew will participate in a Q and A after the film throughout the opening weekend.
Three hours outside of Addis Ababa, a bright 14-year-old girl is on her way home from school when men on horses swoop in and kidnap her. The brave Hirut grabs a rifle and tries to escape, but ends up shooting her would-be husband. She is charged with murder and faces the death penalty. In her village, the practice of kidnapping child brides is common and one of Ethiopia?s oldest traditions. Meaza Ashenafi, an empowered and tenacious young lawyer, arrives from the city to represent Hirut and argue that she acted in self-defense. Meaza boldly embarks on a collision course between enforcing civil authority and abiding by customary law, risking the ongoing work of her women?s legal-aid practice to save Hirut’s life. In the Amharic language, “difret” means courage. Based on the true story about the legal precedent setting court case that outlawed the kidnapping of child brides in Ethiopia, the film explores this theme. Ethiopian writer/director Zeresenay Berhane Mehari portrays, with panoramic beauty the complexity of a country’s transformation toward equal rights, featuring the courageous generation that dares to own it.
If You Go:
Difret Los Angeles Premiere
Opens Friday, December 12th
Laemmle Music Hall Theater
9036 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Tickets go on sale Tues, Dec. 9, 2014.
www.laemmle.com
Video: Audience Reaction at 2014 New African Films Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland
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Related:
‘Difret’ Submitted for Oscar Consideration for Best Foreign Language Film
Tadias Interview with Zeresenay Mehari & Mehret Mandefro
‘Difret’ Wins Panorama at Berlin Film Festival
Ethiopian film confronts marriage by abduction (BBC)
‘Difret’ Wins World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance Festival
Tadias Interview with Filmmaker Yidnekachew Shumete