Recommendations of Young Programmers  

The black-and-white film immerses into daily lives of the people of the Ethiopian city of Harar. Khat is a hallucinogenic plant used by the locals during their rituals. Consumption of this plant helps the youth of Harar to come to terms with the bitter reality. Unemployment, government repression and despair over the local communities of Harar call for ways to escape it all. The poetic narrative introduces the spectators to Ethiopian history, mythical consciousness, and the hopes of today’s young people. One can always feel that the fulfilment of better life is not in khat bur rather somewhere on the other side of the Red Sea.

Jessica Beshir

Jessica Beshir is a Mexican-Ethiopian writer, director, producer and cinematographer based in Brooklyn. She made her directorial debut with her short film Hairat, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival (Criterion). Her short films, He Who Dances on Wood and Heroin, have screened in festivals and museums around the world including Hot Docs, IFFR, IDFA, Eye Film Museum, and MOMI among others. Beshir has been honored with grant support from The Sundance Film Institute, the Doha Film Institute and the Jerome Foundation. Faya Dayi is Jessica’s feature debut.

Filmography

Heroin, 2017
Hairat, 2017
He Who Dances on Wood, 2016