Three days of freedom: Women’s Ashenda celebration in Mekelle Tigray, North-Ethiopia скачать в хорошем качестве

Three days of freedom: Women’s Ashenda celebration in Mekelle Tigray, North-Ethiopia

Ashenda is an age-old women’s culture that was in the process of disappearing. Originally celebrated in highland Ethiopia and Eritrea in August every year, this documentary tells the story about one particular attempt to revive this culture in the regional capital of Tigray, Mekelle. Here groups of girls and young women come from all parts of the region to celebrate their freedom for three days. Presented from both a cultural and religious perspective in light of recent research, participants also tell about the value Ashenda has for them. The documentary gives voice to different stakeholders like the Women’s Association of Tigray who revived this dying culture in order to forward women’s issues, Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau who utilises it as a tourist attraction in the pursuit of economic growth and wants to register it in UNESCO, and a music expert who envisions it being developed into an opera. This documentary is a collaboration between the Mekelle-based filmmaker Tewodros Hailemikael and the Norwegian visual anthropologist Thera Mjaaland. It was shot during the Ashenda celebration in Mekelle, August 2017 [2009 E.C.]. Duration: 46:42 minutes. Language: Tigrinya with English sub-titles. Production: Selina Studio, Mekelle, March 2018 [2010 E.C.]. Distribution: Theram Production, Bergen.