I finally had the chance to watch the movie Teza at the Portland Festival of African Films this past weekend. Not only that, but I also stayed for the Q&A with the director, Haile Gerima, right after the movie.
This event took place at the Historical Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR. The movie theater was packed and I arrived a bit later that I would have liked. By that time there were no more empty seats left so the organizers started to turn people away, but I managed to get inside and sat on the floor at the front of the theater.
It wasn’t the best way to watch a movie, but there was no way I would leave!
So, I made a pillow with my coat and stayed for more than three hours… I’m glad that I stayed.
Teza is a wonderful movie that will stay with you for a long time, like good movies do. It’s moving, thought provoking, and mostly a movie that any human being can relate to in one way or another.
It is the story of Anberber, an Ethiopian doctor who studies abroad and then returns to his country to make a difference, but it’s not so easy. His own personal story is complicated and full of traumas and contradictions in the same way as the country he comes from. If you want to read a good review of the movie, better than any I can write, here is one from the Washington Post.
As I said before, the movie is appealing for anyone, but it’s specially moving for Ethiopians. I saw the faces of those present during the show and you could tell that this movie was personal to them. They were so grateful that finally an Ethiopian director told their story because they have so much to say but few opportunities to do so.
What was really interesting, was the debate after the movie. The director’s insight of the film, his views and stories were amazing, and I could have stayed the whole night listening to him. I wish I had recorded the chat…
Teza is an Ethiopian movie, from the characters, the story, the narrative, to the editing and the music and it’s not aimed to please, but to tell a personal story. If you are a fan of independent cinema, true African cinema, with real African stories, this one is for you.
Haile Gerima answered questions and told a bit about how he made the film, and why he did it. He filmed it mostly in Ethiopia, and just a very small portion in Germany.
He went to his native town in Gondar and recruited locals as actors for the movie, many of them relatives, or friends. The main character’s mother, for example, is and old woman and close friend of his mother, and one of the villagers that plays his uncle is a priest in real life. He nurtured the film with his own memories as a child in Ethiopia and even when the film has a strong political background, it’s not a political movie. It’s a movie about people who emigrate from their country and when they return don’t belong there anymore, in the same way that they don’t belong to their new land.
It’s a movie about mothers and children, about family and personal tragedies, about dreams and frustrations, and overall about love. Love for our family, friends, children, and country.
It has strong scenes usually not seen in American cinema. When I say strong is not only what you see, but what it makes you feel because they have a powerful emotional content.
This movie still doesn’t have a US distributor, and the director is traveling the country showing it to make it known and hopefully find one. If you wish to watch and support this movie, please spread the word.
The next showing of the US Tour will be in Maryland on February 26th, and later New York city on April 2nd, and depending on how well it does there, maybe it would get a distributor. So go and watch it, and let your friends in the East coast know about this amazing movie.

AliciA