Guzo
Aida Ashenafi Guzo
Mango Productions
2008
Aida Ashenafi's Guzo recounts the experiences of two Addis Abeba city dwellers who for the first time, spend a period of 20 days in the Ethiopian countryside, in a small village close to Debre Birhan. Shot in high definition with a 35 mm lens, the documentary captures the area's beautiful landscape, with panning shots of rolling hills, eucalyptus trees, and rocky mountain terrain. A contemporary jazz soundtrack brings traces of the urban hecticness to the bucolic scenery.The film's characters are compelling. Lydia, a young secretary who works in her father's office, charms in her humor and 'girlishness', while Robel is self assured and at times, jarring in his candidness. They are in the hands of their hosts Belgeye and Shewangizaw, whose bemusement at their guests' ineptitude is apparent, as Lydia and Robel try to emulate their daily work routines (ploughing, wood gathering, water collecting, etc). It is with relish that the audience watches the emotional and physical demise of the city dwellers, particularly Robel, who starts his trip with romantic and philosophically idealized notions of what rural life is.
While Guzo shows the hardships of rural life, it also includes some of its joys, leaving us with a fuller picture than most documentaries. There are scenes of the farmers unwinding after a hard days' work at the local tej bet, dancing and singing, as well as a display of community and friendship at the marketplace. This accompanies the profound sincerity and openness of the hosts, whose affection towards Lydia and Robel, is at times, overwhelming. The audience is left to grapple with the range of social issues life in rural Ethiopia brings, including isolation, abduction and virtually inaccessible healthcare. Remarkably, the film delivers these sobering facts with humor and integrity, so it does not weigh the audience down but rather leaves them with a keen awareness of dignity, hard work, and the overall fragility of human society.
Subtitles: English
Post Tags: film, ethiopia, documentary, aida ashenafi, rural,
Abesha.Com:
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05/15 at 04:11 PM
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When does it come out on DVD?