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:
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
INTERNATIONAL SALES
SWEET SPOT DOCS
Anna Berthollet
anna@sweetspotdocs.com
NORTH AMERICAN SALES
RAKE FILMS
hello@rakefilms.com
ANBESSA original soundtrack
by Erik K Skodvin
Erik K Skodvin's first solo film score evokes otherwordly dreamscapes that capture the atmosphere of the film.
Available digitally and on vinyl from Miasmah.
ORDER NOW HERE >
EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS
We are proud to partner with TORCH FILMS to bring ANBESSA to universities,
schools, and communities across North America.
Screen ANBESSA at your school or local organization, or purchase the film for your school's library.
PRESS KIT
Download it here >
FOLLOW ALONG
Facebook @anbessafilm | Twitter @anbessathefilm | Instagram @anbessafilm
ADDITIONAL PRESS
Berlinale 2019: ‘Anbessa’ Critiques A Country Through The Eyes Of A Child
— Goombastomp
"Anbessa": visiones del pasado y del futuro
— Página 12 Argentina
Heart-rending tale of a boy living on the edge
— The Guardian
Mo Scarpelli: Fairy Tales from the In Between
— Feminist Dispatch Magazine
DOC NYC 2019 - Meet Mo Scarpelli
— Women & Hollywood
Director Mo Scarpelli On The Impact Of Modernisation In Ethiopia
— Close-Up Culture
Mo Scarpelli: "Filmamos sus sueños de manera documental"
— Página 12 Argentina
A Child’s Escape Into Imagination as a Coping Mechanism For Displacement
— Okay Africa
"Anbessa” and relationships between film and music
— Beatz of all Nationz
Mo Scarpelli and Anbessa
— Convenzionali
Anbessa: lo sviluppo incontrollato di Addis Abeba in un film
— Osservatorio Diritti
Anbessa, la forza del leone nell'Etiopia del cambiamento
— Cinecittà News
Growing Pains in Ethiopia: Film Spotlights Hidden Cost of Urban Growth
— Voice of America
Stolz wie ein Löwe
— Der Tagesspiegel
Unicef, nasce a Firenze il primo film festival dedicato all’infanzia
— La Nazione
WATCH: The ten riveting documentaries at #DIFF
— IOL
New film takes look at urban development in Ethiopia
— CGTN Africa