With both Hirut’s life and the future of the practice at stake the two women must make their case for self-defense against one of Ethiopia’s oldest and most deeply-rooted traditions. In 2011 she supervised the opening of The Box Soho in London. As well as TV’s Late Night, the Tonight Show, Conan O’Brien, the Oscars, the Grammy’s and the Emmy’s. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Poland’s Oscar committee selected her film ALL THAT I LOVE (2009) as the country’s official submission in the Best Foreign Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards. New York (TADIAS) — Difret, an Ethiopian film directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Saturday evening. Peaceful until he runs into Madeleine, as beautiful as she is brusque, a concrete block of tensed muscles and doomsday prophecies. are at greater risk of death or injury in childbirth. David was a part of the 1st US cast of STOMP performing in over 850 staged Shows. She produced the feature narrative Difret and produced/co-wrote the feature documentary Little White Lie, which recently aired on Independent Lense with record-setting ratings that made it the 7th highest Independent Lens broadcast of all time. Girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to marry as children when compared to girls without an education. A young lawyer travels to an Ethiopian village to represent Hirut, a 14-year-old girl who shot her would-be husband as he and others were practicing one of … “DIFRET” is an Amharic language feature film based on a “true story” of a teenager named Hirut (Tizeta Hagere, depicted in Sundance poster above) who is a victim of the inhuman and barbaric practice of “telefa” or abduction of “child brides” in certain parts of Ethiopia. Difret is a 2014 Ethiopian drama film written and directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari. She moved to New York in 2006 to work for The Ricochet Group, a marketing and management-consulting firm that specializes in working with artistic and educational not-for-profits. In the film a girl named Hirut Assefa, just fourteen years old, is the victim of this practice, kidnapped and Difret, directed by Zeresenay Mehari, is film about an old, cruel tradition that was still practiced into the early 2000’s in some more rural parts of Ethiopia: abductive marriage. She is currently Producer and President of Truth Aid, a not for profit organization that produces multimedia content about the social barriers to well being and translates research into action. Clients included The Royal Shakespeare Company in New York, The American Repertory Theatre at Harvard and KidsOhio. It was all arranged by dealer Gruby who plans a heist of the famous... See full summary ». A crusading attorney (Meron Getnet) defends a 14-year-old Ethiopian (Tizita Hagere) who stands trial for killing the man who abducted and raped her. This FAQ is empty. The film, shot in South Africa, is a profile of the singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. She lives and works in New York, NY and Berlin, Germany. It tells the story of a young girl of 14, abducted for marriage, in a tradition that goes back centuries in rural parts of the country. A young, naive and enthusiastic theater director named Kai comes to a grim provincial town to put on Beckett's Waiting for Godot. David Schommer: As a Songwriter, Composer, Producer, Percussionist, Keyboardist, Multi instrumental Performer, Engineer and Mix Engineer, David has been blessed with a rich, wide and extensive career in music with many varied experiences. He ran Jeremy Piven’s production company, Luscious Mayhem, for several years. "Difret" does indeed play like a first movie made by someone who can list the common ingredients in popular … His recordings have been licensed for over 25 films and 30 television programs. Let our editors help you find what's trending and what's worth your time. Two women's lives will intersect while trapped in circumstances unforeseen. Mehretu’s awards include the Berlin Prize (2007), from the American Academy in Berlin; a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award (2005); and the American Art Award from the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2005). DIFRET is only the fourth feature film to be made in 35mm in Ethiopia and is this year’s Ethiopian submission for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film. Meaza boldly embarks on a collision course between enforcing civil authority and abiding by customary law, risking the continuing work of her women's legal-aid practice to save Hirut's life. She is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild. Eggar has won grants and fellowships from the National Foundation for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Asian Culture Council, the Leonard Bernstein Foundation and Time magazine as a composer. I wish the director the best of luck bringing more material like this to the attention of the world. Not only ... See full summary ». Child marriage in Ethiopia Girls are only allowed to marry at the age of 18 in Ethiopia and bride kidnapping has been outlawed for many years, yet kidnapping and child marriage continue to take place in Ethiopia. He founded Haile Addis Pictures to produce his first narrative feature film, Difret. Working with customary courts to educate village court leaders about the impact of child marriage on their communities. For the first time, there are two entries, and both are real contenders: “Timbuktu” by Abderrahmane Sissako from Mauritania, which premiered to … Aberash Bekele, 32, is angry at filmmakers of Difret … She is the Managing Director of Truth Aid Be a social venture that leverages media and technology to create innovative solutions to social barriers. However, the country has seen rapid growth in this area of late, especially in Amharic film. Hirut is … With Meron Getnet, Tizita Hagere, Abel Abebe, Shitaye Abraha. In an airport hotel on the outskirts of Paris, a Silicon Valley engineer abruptly chucks his job, breaks things off with his wife, and holes up in his room. Martin, an ex-Parisian well-heeled hipster passionate about Gustave Flaubert who settled into a Norman village as a baker, sees an English couple moving into a small farm nearby. A couple of years later Francesca started working with nightspot The Box in New York City in various management capacities. Difret will premiere at Sundance on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 9 pm at the Egyptian Theatre, with more screenings throughout the week. Ethiopian cinema is popular on home soil, and hopefully films such as Difret will go some way in meaning it is picked up even more – there and throughout the globe. 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. He was nominated for an Academy and Emmy Award for the film “On TipToe” which premiered on HBO. Lacey Schwartz is a media producer and director with deep experience working for and consulting with a variety of different companies and nonprofit organizations. Lacey’s prior experience includes serving as the Chief Operating Officer for Max Siegel Inc, (“MSI”) which is the parent company for a number of media initiatives, including a Universal Music distributed record label and Nascar’s Drive for Diversity program through which MSI executive produced the BET television series, Changing Lanes. From executive producer Angelina Jolie Pitt comes the award-winning drama DIFRET, based on the inspirational true story of a young Ethiopian girl and a tenacious lawyer embroiled in a life-or-death clash between cultural traditions and their country’s advancement of equal rights. It explores child marriage and violence against women in this African nation. The film had its premiere in-competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinematic Dramatic Audience Award. Mehari was born in Ethiopia, but moved to America to study film at USC. Written by David Eggar: Two-time Grammy Nominated composer and experimental cellist Dave Eggar has performed throughout the world as a cellist, pianist, song-writer and composer including solo performances of his own compositions at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Barbican Center London, the Hollywood Bowl, the Paris Opera, Aspen Music Festival, Bowdoin Music Festival, Music City Roots, Sun Studios, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall and many others. Eggar is a graduate of Harvard University(BA) and the Juilliard School (DMA). Difret A crusading attorney (Meron Getnet) defends a 14-year-old Ethiopian (Tizita Hagere) who stands trial for killing the man who abducted and raped her. Was this review helpful to you? Business California DIFRET is a film about Ethiopia (underscore the word “Ethiopia”); and it has has brought great honor and artistic recognition to Ethiopia. Engaging men and traditional leaders in the community on the importance of delaying the age of marriage where the practice is most prevalent. Title: The Ethiopian film and Ethiopian movie scene is relatively young. Directed by Zeresenay Mehari. Additionally, his work has been seen on MTV, Discovery, BET, VH1, Travel Channel, and Lifetime. 19 of 22 people found this review helpful. Local law demands a death sentence for Hirut, but Meaza, a tough and passionate lawyer from a women’s legal aide practice, steps in to fight for her. In addition, Lacey has produced and developed branded entertainment programs, scripted and reality television series, commercials, feature-length documentaries, narrative films, concert films, live performances, added value DVD content, EPKs, print magazines and interactive websites for a variety of companies including MTV, @Radical Media, Drive Thru Pictures and BETJ. "Difret" means "to dare" or "courage" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia. Raising awareness in your community to help change attitudes and educate others about the harm that child marriage causes. Review from Euronews: We’ve been extremely moved this week by an Ethiopian film called Difret. Although the lethargic theater company shows no interest in... See full summary ». DIFRET paints a portrait of a country in a time of great transformation and the brave individuals ready to help shape it. Advocating for governments to implement laws and policies that prohibit child marriage and protect women and girls from violence. The son of a shepherd embarks in the quest of emancipating himself from a tough lifestyle that his condition and his father force on him. Prior to her media career, Lacey was a professional DJ and public high school math and theater teacher. New York (TADIAS) — Difret, an Ethiopian film directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Saturday evening. As a child, Dave won ASCAP’s Young Composer’s Competition. Amharic Film | Ethiopian Film | Ethiopian Movies. A virtuoso in many styles Dave has performed and recorded with artists in many genres including Frank Ocean, Evanescence, Phillip Phillips, Josh Groban, Talib Kweli, Tony Bennett, Michael Brecker, Chromeo, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dave Sanborn, Jewel, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Train and many others. Above all, Zeresenay Berhane Mehari in making DIFRET has shown his pride in being Ethiopian (underscore the phrase “n being Ethiopian”). In the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she founded the Jolie Legal Fellowship, which assists government officials and local NGOs in protecting Haiti’s most vulnerable children. 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. Difret After being raped (“having her virginity taken” ) by her abductor, to claim her for marriage, she escapes and shoots him … From executive producer Angelina Jolie Pitt comes the award-winning drama DIFRET, based on the inspirational true story of a young Ethiopian girl and a tenacious lawyer embroiled in a life-or-death clash between cultural traditions and their country’s advancement of equal rights. When 14-year-old Hirut is abducted in her rural village’s tradition of kidnapping women for marriage, she fights back, accidentally killing her captor and intended husband. (2014). She has received an Acadamy Award, two Sceeen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and is know for her roles in Gia, A Mighty Heart, Changeling, and Salt. A film which shows a side of the country perhaps few of us are familiar with. A chronicle of legendary Native American poet/activist John Trudell's travels, spoken word performances and politics. Girls who marry before age 18 are: For these reasons, child marriage violates the basic human rights girls have to health, education, safety, and well-being. In 2001, she was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees and has since been on field visits in more than 30 countries. Her work has been selected for numerous international film festivals including Cannes, Tribeca, Rotterdam and Cleremont-ferrand. For his first feature, he mixes feminist courtroom drama and a coming-of-age story in which a young woman understands the world outside her village, but fails to solidify either of these narratives. In her village, the practice of abduction into marriage is common and one of Ethiopia's oldest traditions. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Zeresenay Berhane Mehari is an award-winning writer/director with over a decade of experience making films. Eggar scored Jackson’s Breakout film Without in 2011. And I recommend this film to anyone who has the opportunity to see it and support it! WELL DONE! Appropriating methods traditionally identified with feminine pursuits, embroidery and needlework, Rankin’s work and her organdy “embroidered paintings” feature a series of “mental maps”, with codes, signs and symbols that explore ideas of memory, intuition and interpretation. (The word “difret” has multiple meanings including “courage”, “the act of raping a woman and dishonoring her, and “insolent … Angelina promotes humanitarian causes, and is noted for he work with refugees. View production, box office, & company info. Mara, a young Romanian woman, has just moved to the US with Dragos, her 9-year-old son, marrying Daniel, an American she has met only a few months ago. It was a riveting, well-edited and well-acted film about a primitive misogynistic mindset that is responsible for the abuse and deaths of women around the world. 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