Very good film - must see (spoilers)

I saw the film a few days ago but have delayed posting to allow time for rumination. It's a very good film and so apt in a time when the treatment of women during war, by Boko Haram and ISIL, who have both abducted girls and women, and the campaign against FGM are headlines in the news.

The background to understanding the story, which is based on a true case, is that in rural Ethiopia the 'abduction' of a prospective bride is a tradition. Generally a young girl is betrothed to a man in the village, who has asked and gained the girl's father's consent to the marriage. The 'abduction', which occurs on horseback when the girl is seized whilst walking, then follows to cement the agreement. This practise raises lots of questions particularly about the girls' knowledge and feelings regarding the marriage and abduction. The film does not address this as a general issue.

What the film looks at is the result of an abduction that went against the girl's father's rejection of the village man for his 14-year old daughter Hirut. Hirut is abducted walking home from school. Her abductor then beats her and rapes her, all the while holding her prisoner in what looks like a cattle hut. She manages to escape taking her abductor's shotgun as she flees. She ends up shooting her abductor dead as he and his cohorts give chase through the forest. According to Ethiopian tradition such a situation requires the girl's execution and burial with her victim.

The film picks up from here showing us an association of female lawyers in Addis Abeba who represent girls and women. In steps Meaza Ashenafi - Google her to learn more about this remarkable woman - an intelligent and feisty woman who is the co-director of the association. Meaza we learn was a judge who left her position to do something for women's lot in society and, in particular, to help those without money for legal access. She hears about Hirut's case and immediately positions herself and her association to represent Hirut and fight the traditional law that demands Hirut's death.

The film's plot is predictable but the way it's executed is very good and so raw. The film steps carefully through Ethiopian society and male-female relations to present a society with good and bad practises. The film is respectful of the society and it did not alienate me as a viewer. The film's ending was very bittersweet. Hirut wins and is found not guilty of murder but remains banished from her village and exiled from her family. She declares at the end that she has lost and both she and Meaza cry for her loss, which was easy to overlook and ignore whilst pursuing a course to free her.

I had the privilege of seeing the film screen at the LIFF and then be present for a Q/A between the male director and female co-director, who is also his wife. Both are Ethiopian heritage but live in America. They spoke about the difficulties in getting the film made and that the director, who had been working in Hollywood's film industry, turned his back on two Hollywood offers to buy his script because one wanted to make the film in spoken English and another wanted a name, like Halle Berry, to star in the film. He was determined the film would be an Ethiopian production all the way through and thankfully it was. They spoke about the challenges of filming in a country with no film infrastructure and that the development of their 35mm film had to be sent on a daily basis to Mumbai for development, leaving them with time lags during which they were filming blind. It was a privilege to see the film when I did because a good number of the audience were of Ethiopian heritage and it felt good to be amongst them and their support for this film.

After Hirut's case the law in Ethiopia was changed to make abduction illegal and the number of abductions declined significantly. Apparently these abductions are on the increase again though. Angeline Jolie became involved as an executive producer to help get the film noticed. She was happy to assist in anyway after seeing the film and they said she had been most helpful to them. The film is going forward as Ethiopia's entry for the Oscar foreign language nomination. I hope it does well. It's been popular at film festivals winning a number of awards. it is also only the fourth film ever filmed in Ethiopia! So it's a big achievement.

This is the closing track as the film's credits rolled: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmu8Lual7Os.

I give my respect to those who have earned it; to everyone else, I'm civil.