ANBESSA

86 minutes
Ethiopia | Italy | USA

A boy caught between the ancient and the new navigates modernization on his own terms. By becoming a lion (anbessa) he can fight back against the forces outside of his control.

Directed by Mo Scarpelli
Producers -
Caitlin Mae Burke, Mo Scarpelli
Exec Producers -
Danielle Perissi, Gelila Bekele
Assoc Producers -
D.D. Wigley, Pierce Varous
Dir of Photography - Mo Scarpelli
Editors - Nico Leunen, Thomas Pooters
Music - Erik K Skodvin

Produced by Rake Films
in association with Moby Group

"A masterful work of sensory ethnography."
— Film Stage

"Visually arresting... incredibly fascinating and absolutely worth watching."
— Film Threat

"Eloquent... a tender portrait"
— Sight & Sound

"ANBESSA does not play tricks... beautiful, humorous and thought-provoking."
— Little Village

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Hope and despair intermingle in a profoundly cinematic mix."
— Hammer To Nail

One of Filmmaker Magazine's Most Anticipated Films of 2019
One of Vox.com's 16 Great Documentaries of 2019

WATCH THE FILM :

CONTRIBUTE TO ASALIF

Asalif, the young protagonist of this film, is a genius.

If you want to contribute to him and his future, you can here:

PAYPAL.ME/ANBESSAFILM

All the money in this PayPal account is sent to Asalif's bank account in Ethiopia.

Thank you.

FESTIVALS, SCREENINGS & AWARDS

69° Berlinale International Film Festival

* Crystal Bear Nominee
* Glashütte Documentary Prize Nominee

IDFA 2019

* Kids & Docs Competition Selection

40° Durban International Film Festival

* Jury Special Mention for Best Documentary

MiradasDoc

* El Mirador Award for Best Documentary Feature

21° Olympia Intl Film Festival for Children & Youth

* ECFA Award for Best Documentary

22° Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

Human Rights Watch Film Festival London

60° Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias (FICCI)

Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival

Rooftop Films

DOC NYC

Rome Independent Film Festival

Addis International Film Festival

* Opening Night Film

Sole Luna Doc Fest

* Best Cinematography

Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA)

* Best Cinematography

MountainFilm Telluride

* Best Director Award
* Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature

RiverRun Intl Film Festival

* Special Mention for Best Documentary Feature

Fabrique du Cinéma Awards 2020

* Best International Documentary Nominee

Olafur Eliasson Studios
special screening in the artist's studio in Berlin

Copenhagen Architecture Festival
in collaboration with the 2019 C40 World Mayor's Summit

Stockfish Film Festival
This Human World Film Festival
Docudays Ukraine
Maryland Film Festival
London Migration Film Festival
Busan International Children & Youth Festival
UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival - Italy
Ljubljana International Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival - USA
Cleveland International Film Festival
Cucalorus Film Festival - USA
Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
Mammoth Lakes Film Festival - USA
Festival de Cine de Derechos Humanos Sucre - Bolivia
Berkshire International Film Festival - USA
San Francisco IndieFest
Pripovedovalski Festival - Slovenia
Take One Action Film Festival - Scotland
FlyWay Film Festival - USA
New Hampshire Film Festival - USA
Tumbleweed Film Festival - USA
DC Environmental Film Festival
Ashland Independent Film Festival - USA
Woods Hole Film Festival - USA
Port Townsend Film Festival - USA
Gimli Film Festival - Canada
FREEP Detroit Film Festival
Moab Film Festival - USA
International Children's Film Festival Bangladesh
DOC UTAH - USA

additional screenings

Other Cinema series - London
FilmScene - Iowa City, USA
Art of Buna - Cologne, Germany
Doctober at the Pickford Film Centre - Seattle, USA
UCLA Luskin School & African Studies Center
CineCulture at Fresno State University