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By H. Asrat
Guzo
image

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,

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14 Response(s) to “Guzo”
  1. When does it come out on DVD?


  1. Hello there, thanks for the question.
    I am one of the Guzo PR Team in Washington DC. The movie will be shown first on all Ethiopian Airlines International flights before it comes out on a DVD. I don’t have the exact date but I believe it will be in about 5-6 months.


  1. Wow looks like it’s going to be very intresting documentary.  Great job!


  1. This was such a great film! And the subtitles were fantastic. Something that many films lack. Very impressive…


  1. Thank you all for your comments. Looking forward for NYC show. Please spread the word.
    Thanks


  1. Cool! Very Intersting...Keep it post when it will be realesed..Thanks!


  1. I was very happy to see Guzo in New York this past Saturday.  This is such a great documentary.  I don’t think it will be released, however, it is going to be aired on all Ethiopian Airlines flights.  Might be a reason to fly Ethiopian :D  Good job guys!  Betam adenequachu!

    BTW, I think we’d benefit from another showing.  There are many people that were not able to make this weekend and/or have heard about it from friends, etc.


  1. Thank you Meron. Thanks for your support and your comment.
    We will definately show Guzo in NYC again. We are working on finding a date and place available for the next show. I wil post it here as soon as we confirm that.
    Thank you again
    Teferi
    Mango Production and Films Rep.
    Guzo PR Team


  1. Please check out [url=http://www.tadias.com]http://www.tadias.com[/url] for reviews and interviews of the NYC screening of Guzo
    cheers!
    Tef


  1. I also like to thank Liben of Tadias Magazine for being there at the screeing of Guzo.
    Please check out http://www.Tadias.com.

    Cheers!


  1. Hi Teferi. BINA (Beta Israel Cultural Foundation) would like to screen GUZO at our annual Sheba Film Festival next year (2010). How can we get in touch with the filmmaker (Aida) to arrangement this? Or can we work directly with you? I look forward to hearing back from you. You may contact me at: fantaye2000@yahoo.com. Thank you in advance.


  1. Hello,
    <div>Was wondering if this film is going to be shown here in DC any time soon, or did I miss it?</div>


  1. Waiting for the DVD!


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