'Sincerely, Ethiopia’: New documentary unveils inspiring tales from Ethiopia
theGRIO REPORT - Budding filmmaker Nathan Araya and his friends have created a documentary 'Sincerely, Ethiopia' which tackles the media’s negative perceptions of his homeland by shifting his film’s focus to display a more positive portrayal of Ethiopian life and culture...
Film shines light on Ethiopia’s promising talent
In the documentary, Araya takes viewers on his first journey back ‘home’ and his quest to unveil the prosperity and beauty he discovered in the hearts of Ethiopians everywhere.
A large part of Kassa’s role was to search and identify influential people in the region who were tackling some of the country’s issues firsthand. Ultimately, Kassa and the team selected and featured four main individuals who each tell their story on how they confront the country’s prevalent issues of social injustice, education, illiteracy and HIV/AIDS.
Viewers will meet Eden Gelan, the co-founder of the Beza Community Development Association (BCDA) – an organization that provides aid to those with HIV through medical support and counseling. They will also be introduced to Yohannes Gebregeorgis, a public advocate for educational and literacy development among Ethiopia’s youth. Gebregeorgis is the founder of Ethiopia Reads and he has been formerly honored as a CNN Hero.
The documentary also tells the story of Biruktawit Tagesse: “Her passion is to work with the vulnerable adolescent boys in Ethiopia to help them develop a strong sense of self-esteem and positive, creative imaginations,” the film’s website reads.
Then there is Addisu’s tale as part of the Adugna Community Dance Theatre – which is regarded as the only modern, contemporary dance company in the nation. Addisu works at the theatre to welcome and train some of Ethiopia’s most extraordinary dancers. He teaches them to use their body motions and art to express their powerful take on a number of social injustices.
To add to the film’s compelling narratives, it also includes special features on individuals who work in some of the country’s different sectors including art, business, fashion and healthcare.
In the end, viewers are left with a renewed sense of Ethiopia and the multi-talented people that compose its cultural fabric.
“My mission was simple. It was to create conversations and spark thoughts and discussion about Ethiopia,” Araya said.
“My hopes for the film were to inspire, educate and empower people. I really want to be able to create conversation and spark ideas on how to support people or inspire them to start their own initiatives.”
A mission well accomplished
Araya and his team spent six weeks in Ethiopia connecting with various people and documenting their journey. Prior to their trip, they devoted months to fund-raising through their self-dubbed Dollar Campaign where they raised a substantial amount of money by asking friends, family and supporters to donate.
In the end, they used that money to buy gifts of appreciation for the people they encountered through their travels and the projects they dedicated their lives to.
For Araya and his friends, it was a trip that surpassed their expectations – and they each left with the satisfaction of knowing that by creating this documentary, they would allow others to marvel at the same wonders they experienced.
It was no surprise then, that the group took a unique approach in sharing their story.
“I never wanted to make a documentary for the red carpet to be viewed by filmmakers who could give me affirmation or to be what you would see any other film to be, I wanted to challenge people’s way of thinking and spark conversations,” Araya said.
Instead, Araya and members of his team traveled across the U.S. and showed the film on college campuses nationwide.
He said he believed it provided a more intimate setting that truly allowed the essence of the film to resonate with viewers and stimulate powerful discussions.
“Colleges have an amazing infrastructure for young people to witness and start something and I wanted the film to be a resource or tool to be able to inspire them and giving them direction,” he said.
Over 13 schools have screened the film so far and Araya and his team have only received positive feedback.
“The responses have all been great and of the stories have touched a lot of people, it’s opened peoples minds [to] new possibilities,” he said.
“The nontraditional way that these people have gone above and beyond speaks volumes. People have told me that the film has inspired them to bring about impact and change.”
To Araya, Ethiopia is a country of people that are “overcoming everyday life with a smile and hope” – and now, through his film, he has spread that joy to countless others.
The documentary shines new light on a country often masked by turmoil; Araya and his team have unveiled the true splendor of their homeland with Sincerely, Ethiopia.
Follow Lilly Workneh on Twitter @Lilly_Works
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