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Anbessa
Anbessa
8.0
/10
968 Ratings

ANBESSA

Directed by Mo Scarpelli
Italy, Ethiopia, 2019
Documentary, Drama

Synopsis

A big condominium promises thousands of Ethiopians a better life. Constructed on the farmland of 10-year-old Asalif and his mother, it leaves them just a tool shed with no water. While the city keeps growing, the young boy battles forces beyond his control thanks to his imagination and sharp wits.

Synopsis

A big condominium promises thousands of Ethiopians a better life. Constructed on the farmland of 10-year-old Asalif and his mother, it leaves them just a tool shed with no water. While the city keeps growing, the young boy battles forces beyond his control thanks to his imagination and sharp wits.

Our take

A coming-of-age journey with a dose of magical realism, this documentary from Mo Scarpelli challenges stereotypes about childhood outside of the West. Emboldened by the beautiful relationship between subject and director, Anbessa strikes a delicate balance between topicality and formal adventure.