Above: The 7th Annual Sheba Film Festival continues this
week with screenings of Chris Flaherty’ Migration of Beauty
and other films.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The 7th Annual Sheba Film Festival opened this past week in New York City.
The annual event, organized by The BINA Cultural Foundation, showcases a diverse array of Ethiopia-related films from around the globe.
The 2010 Festival includes Chris Flaherty’s film entitled Migration of Beauty, a documentary focusing on the disputed 2005 elections in Ethiopia. The director, Mr. Flaherty, who suspended his hunger strike today for health reasons, has been hoping to raise awareness about the timely topic given that the country will once again head to the polls on May 23, 2010.
Another film by Andrea Mydlarz-Zeller and Sam Shnider entitled Bewoket: By the Will of God documents the work of Rick Hodes, an American doctor who treats children with spinal tuberculosis in Ethiopia.
— IF YOU GO: Please visit the BINA Cultural Foundation’s website for a complete list of films playing and to buy tickets. If you missed last week’s fundraiser dinner, you may still contribute to BINA at binacf.org.
Above:The film festival also features post-screening question
and answer sessions and panel discussions that include critics,
filmmakers, academics, and others.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Source: ADFF
Thursday, December 3, 2009
New York – The African Diaspora Film Festival (ADFF) presents an eclectic mix of urban, classic, independent and foreign films that depict the richness and diversity of the life experience of people of African descent and Indigenous people all over the world.
Among them are three Ethiopia related movies that you may want to check out this weekend.
Adera
Adera is the heart wrenching story of an Ethiopian refugee’s struggle to survive in the city of Johannesburg. Marlam struggles to provide for her two children back home and, through a series of twisted circumstances, ends up as a surrogate mother for a wealthy Ethiopian couple, Tiru and Fre. Their fate is tied to that of Biru’s, the shady middle man who is only interested in the money. As this unique African story unfolds, the true cost of dreams is revealed and each life is changed forever. By Nega Tariku, Ethiopia/South Africa, 107min, 2009, drama in English and Amharic with English subtitles. Adera will make its US premiere on Saturday, Dec. 5 @ 8:30PM – Riverside. Q&A will follow the the screenings.
Video: ADERA” Movie Trailer
Memories of a Generation
In this revealing documentary, we hear the story of poet and political prisoner Ali Saeed. He tells his experiences of living in Ethiopia under the leadership of Haile Selassie and the Derg, and his imprisonment for his opposition to the controlling powers. Saeed was forced to leave Ethiopia and find refuge in Somalia, but ended up confronting the same dictatorship he tried to get away from and returned to prison. Saeed eventually finds peace in Canada, where he resides and sponsors other Ethiopian people who want to leave Ethiopia. Saeed courageously uses his “poetry as a weapon” against the oppressive force and a form of empowerment. By Aaron Floresco, Canada, 2009, 78min, documentary in English and Amharic with English subtitles. The film will make its NY premiere Friday, Dec. 4 @ 6:30PM – Anthology. Q&A will follow the the screening.
Video:Memories of a Generation — Trailer 01
Migration of Beauty
The DC area is home to one of the largest populations of Ethiopians outside of Africa. Many came to escape political oppression and human rights violations. Now as U.S. citizens, they exercise Constitutional rights mobilizing and organizing their community members for taxicab workers’ rights, DC Voting Rights, Voting Rights in Ethiopia and Humane Immigration Reform. From Ethiopia to the United States, Ethiopians stand up for freedom and democracy. By Chris Flaherty, 2009, 80min, English, USA, documentary. Migration of beauty will show on Saturday, Dec. 5 @ 4:00PM – Cowin (TC) and Sunday, Dec. 6 @ 4:30PM – Anthology. Q and A session with the director along with Tala Dowlatshahi, the senior advisor and spokesperson for the U.S. operations of Reporters Without Borders, will follow the screening.
Ethiopian Talk Show host Nigist Abate with Chris Flaherty
Producer and Director of ” Migration of Beauty”.
Above:Still image from “Migration of Beauty” showing
protesters in D.C. (Courtesy of SandyBeagle Productions).
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Thursday, July 16, 2009
New York (Tadias) – In May 2010 Ethiopians will once again be heading to the polls, and Filmmaker Chris Flaherty has released his film, Migration of Beauty, just in time for us to reflect on the aftermath of the 2005 elections.
Flaherty, whom we interviewed last May, has spent time examining how Ethiopian Americans reacted to the violence that erupted following the controversial 2005 national election. Flaherty had originally intended to focus on the achievements of Ethiopian Americans, but later decided to focus on a feature length film that captures the Ethiopian-American experience of political participation in America in comparison to Ethiopia.
Migration of Beauty is scheduled to be shown at the 2009 African Diaspora Film Festival (ADFF) in New York City in August and November. The ADFF is a 17-day festival featuring over a 100 films focusing on the diversity of the global African diaspora experience.
Here are more still images from the film, courtesy of SandyBeagle Productions.
Congressman Donald Payne persides over a hearing to mark up HR 2003.
Abdul Kamus, one of the characters featured in the film.
Abdul Kamus visits the Statue of Liberty with his children.
