Difret

Zeresenay Berhane Mehari : 2014

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. Accused of murder, Hirut may face the death penalty even though she was acting in self-defence, for in her village the practice of 'telefa' or marriage by abduction is common, being one of Ethiopia's oldest traditions. Lawyer Meaza Ashenafi has established a network providing poor women and children with free legal representation. Courageously, she stands up to all manner of harassment from the police and male members of the government. In taking on Hirut's case, which has become a cause célèbre, Meaza confronts both the government and entrenched attitudes towards women, risking the ongoing work of her women's legal-aid practice in order to save Hirut's life. Beneath the layer of Ethiopia's polite social customs, an aggressively rooted patriarchy perpetuates inhospitable conditions for women. Based on actual events, the film enquires about the nation's possible emergence into the modern world and about what happens when centuries-old traditions are broken and belief systems are abandoned. Zeresenay Berhane Mehari's award-winning feature directorial debut premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2014.