Teza October 30, 2008

Set in 1970s Ethiopia, Teza tells the story of a young Ethiopian as he returns from West Germany a postgraduate. The young Anberber comes back to a country at the height of the Cold War and under the Marxist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Working in a health institution he witnesses a brutal murder and finds himself at odds with the revolutionary gangsters running the country. He is ordered by the regime to take up a post in East Germany and uses this opportunity to escape to the West until the Berlin Wall falls and Ethiopia's military regime is overthrown.

Now aged 60, Anberber finally returns to his home village. Although he finds comfort from his ageing mother he feels alienated from those around him by his absence from home for so long and is disillusioned and haunted by his past. Teza is a sharply constructed political drama with solid story- telling values that include excellent performances, as well as a compelling soundtrack and the best choice and use of location.

Official Website: http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/teza