Difret

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. In her village, the practice of abduction into marriage 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... The film is based on a true story. (*The word “difret” has two meanings in Ethiopian: “courageous” but also “to be raped”.)
Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.
Script: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari
Cinematography: Monika Lenczewska
Editing: Agnieszka Glinska
Sound: Lawrence Smith, J.M. Davey, Zach Seivers
Music: David Schommer, David Eggar
Actors: Meron Getnet (Meaza Ashenafi), Tizita Hagere (HirutAssefa
Production: Haile Addis Pictures,USA. info@haileaddis.com
Producers: Mehret Mandefro, Leelai Demoz, Zeresenay Berhane Mehari
Costumes: Helina Desalegn
Production Design: Dawit Shewal
Format: DCP Color
Production Country: Ethiopia
Production Year: 2013
Duration: 99
Contact: Films Βoutique, GermanyT. +49 30 695 378 50F. +49 30 695 378 51info@filmsboutique.comwww.filmsboutique.co
Executive producer: Angelina Jolie

Awards
Audience Award – Sundance IFF 2014, USA
Audience Award – Berlinale IFF 2014, Germany

Zeresenay Berhane Mehari

A writer/director with more than a decade of experience in making films. Born and raised in Ethiopia, Mehari moved to the USA to attend film school. He founded Haile Addis Pictures to produce his first narrative feature film, Difret. He has a ΒΑ from the University of South California's School of Cinematic Arts.

Filmography

(selected)
2006 Coda (short)
2013 Difret