Anbessa
Sign in to saveAnbessa, is a 2019 documentary directed by Mo Scarpelli that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film tells a coming-of-age narrative around ten-year-old Asalif, displaced from his farmland near Addis Ababa due to condominium construction. As the city evolves, the film captures Asalif's imaginative resistance, where he transforms into a lion ("anbessa" in Amharic) to combat external threats and navigate a changing world. Anbessa explores the clash between tradition and modernity, prompting viewers to reflect on the true costs of progress. The film received critical acclaim
Film · TMDB
5.9Asalif and his mother defy Ethiopia’s omnipresent modern housing development culture, by continuing to live a life characterised by proximity to nature and rootedness in community. The boy counters the ruptures in his accustomed surroundings and the threat posed by the hyena that haunts his neighbourhood by reinventing himself as a hero: as Anbessa, the lion.
Released: 2019-02-1186 minDir: Mo ScarpelliDocumentary, Drama
Cast
- Asalif Tewold as self
This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Key dates
- Published
- 9 February 2019
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- film
- Genre
- documentary film
- Country of origin
- Ethiopia
- Original language
- Amharic
- Duration
- +85
via Wikidata · CC0
Article
2 sectionsContents
- References
- External links
Anbessa, is a 2019 documentary directed by Mo Scarpelli that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film tells a coming-of-age narrative around ten-year-old Asalif, displaced from his farmland near Addis Ababa due to condominium construction. As the city evolves, the film captures Asalif's imaginative resistance, where he transforms into a lion ("anbessa" in Amharic) to combat external threats and navigate a changing world. Anbessa explores the clash between tradition and modernity, prompting viewers to reflect on the true costs of progress. The film received critical acclaim, winning awards at various festivals, and serves as a catalyst for discussions on sustainable development, cultural preservation, and the human impact of societal transformations. As Asalif grapples with his lion persona and the realities of change, Anbessa invites audiences to reconsider prevailing narratives surrounding development and emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural identity amidst relentless modernization.
== References ==