A remarkable story about a rural community in Ethiopia who have created a life free of inequality poverty and hunger.

40 years ago an illiterate Ethiopian farmer decided to create his own heaven on earth based on equality and freedom from organised religions He was driven by a belief that there is a way out of poverty hunger and inequality simply by working hard and reversing traditional values This is the story of his brainchild Awra Amba a remarkable rural weaving community in the food insecure region of Amhara in Northern Ethiopia It is a story of belief in a better more equal world where humans do not have to suffer but can live in peace and harmony The film follows the lives of two women in the village a mother and her daughter Zibad the daughter has just arrived in the village seeking refuge with her five children after a violent marriage We follow her efforts to become a member and adjusting to a new way of life Her mother Zeinab runs the tea house which is the heart of all social events in the village The tea house is a meeting place where heated debates take place between the community members and outsiders who are either fascinated by or sceptical of Awra Amba It provides a window through which we observe the every day challenges in the community The esoteric 65 year old founder Zumra Nuru is confronted by a group of University students visiting the village and finds himself defending his utopian vision and ideology Zumras revolutionary ideas were often met with hostility and until this day he still needs protection by an armed guard due to decades of hatred and death threats

United Kingdom / 2009 / 028:30 mins

Director: Paulina Tervo

Cinematographer: Susi Arnott

Film Editor: Catalin Brylla

Producer: Paulina Tervo

Executive Producer: Hugh Purcell

Year: 2009
Language: Amharic
Country: United Kingdom
Subtitled: Yes
Colour: Colour
Ratio: 16:9
Length: 028:30
Classification: None


Prod : Write This Down Productions