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Early Ethiopian Cinema, 1964–1994

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2022

Eyerusaleam Kassahun Open the ORCID record for Eyerusaleam Kassahun [Opens in a new window]  and
Steven W. Thomas Open the ORCID record for Steven W. Thomas [Opens in a new window]
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Abstract

The first generation of Ethiopian filmmakers produced significant fictional and documentary films inside Ethiopia from the 1960s to 1990s, but access to these films has been limited. Drawing on interviews with filmmakers, Kassahun and Thomas analyze this early production in its cultural context and compare it with Haile Gerima’s internationally celebrated Harvest: 3000 Years (1975), produced in the United States, to complicate the meta-narrative of Ethiopia’s film history. In the context of debates by intellectuals about art and politics, early Ethiopian filmmakers participated in an internationally conscious Ethiopian modernism across the political revolutions of 1974 and 1991.

Résumé

Résumé

La première génération de cinéastes éthiopiens a produit d’importants films de fiction et documentaires en Éthiopie entre les années 1960 et 1990, mais l’accès à ces films a été limité. S’appuyant sur des entretiens avec des cinéastes, Kassahun et Thomas analysent ces premières productions dans leur contexte culturel et les comparent avec le célèbre Harvest : 3000 Years (1975) de Haile Gerima, produit aux États-Unis, pour compliquer le méta-récit de l’histoire du cinéma éthiopien. Dans le contexte des débats des intellectuels sur l’art et la politique, les premiers cinéastes éthiopiens ont participé à un modernisme éthiopien internationalement conscient à travers les révolutions politiques de 1974 et 1991.

Resumo

Resumo

A primeira geração de realizadores de cinema etíopes produziu na Etiópia, entre as décadas de 1960 e 1900, uma quantidade significativa de filmes de ficção e de documentários, os quais, porém, tiveram uma distribuição limitada. Com base em entrevistas a realizadores, Kassahun e Thomas analisam esta fase inicial de produção cinematográfica à luz do seu contexto cultural e analisam-na por comparação com Harvest: 3000 Years (1975), o filme internacionalmente consagrado de Haile Gerima, que foi produzido nos Estados Unidos, assim complexificando a metanarrativa da história do cinema etíope. No contexto dos debates sobre arte e política que tiveram ligar entre os intelectuais, os primeiros realizadores etíopes participaram de um modernismo internacionalmente consciente que atravessou as revoluções políticas de 1974 e 1991.

ከ1960 እስከ 1990 ባለው ጊዜ ውስጥ የመጀመሪያዎቹ የኢትዮጵያ ፊልም ሰሪዎች ትውልድ፣ ጉልህ የሆኑ ልብ ወለዳዊ እና ዘጋቢ ፊልሞችን በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ አምርተዋል፤ የስራዎቹ ተደራሽነት ግን ውስን ነበር፡፡ ሁለቱ የዚህ ጥናት አቅራቢዎች ከፊልም ሰሪዎች ጋር ያደረጉትን ቃለ ምልልስ በመመርኮዝ፣ ቀደምት የሆኑ ኢትዮጵያዊ የፊልም ምርቶችን፣ በአሜሪካ አገር ከተሰራው እና በዓለም አቀፍ ደረጃ ከሚታወቀው ከሃይሌ ገሪማ ምርት 3000 ዓመታት (1975) ከተባለው ፊልም ጋር በማወዳደር፣ ነባሩን የኢትዮጵያን የፊልም ታሪክ በማስረጃ በማጠየቅ ሞግተዋል፡፡

በኪነ ጥበብ እና በፖለቲካ ዙሪያ ምሁራን ከሚያደርጓቸው ክርክሮች በመነሳት እንዲሁም በ1974 እና በ1991 የተደረጉ የፖለቲካ አብዮቶችን በመንተራስ፣ ቀደምት የኢትዮጵያ ፊልም ሰሪዎች ዓለም አቀፍዊ አውድ የነበረውን በኢትዮጵያ የዘመናዊነት ጽንሰ ሀሳብ ላይ ይደረግ በነበረው ውይይት ላይ ተሳትፈዋል፡፡

Keywords

EthiopiaEritreacinemaAfrican film studiesDergHaile GerimaHaile Selassiemodernism
Type
Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 65 , Issue 2 , June 2022 , pp. 308 - 330
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the African Studies Association

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