BY MULUGETA GUDETA
From the production of “Who is Hirut’s Father?” to “Guma” and then to “Aster”, Ethiopia’s modern filmmaking is slightly older than 60 years. Beside feature films, those decades were also marked the beginning of production of documentaries by renowned specialists of the genre such as Solomon Bekele and Haile Gerima, two of the most prominent names who are also veterans of the Ethiopia’s film industry.
The Ethiopian Film Corporation which was established by the Derg to produced mainly documentary films showcasing the country’s economic “successes” and served as propaganda tools. The government’s Ethiopian Film Corporation was the institution established for this purpose. Yet, the corporation did not enjoy the necessary budget and trained manpower that could promote film production in whatever genre it came.
Pioneers of the Ethiopian movie industry
When veteran filmmaker Solomon Bekele produced “Aster” that was enthusiastically accepted by both critics and the public, the Corporation grudgingly footed the bills for its production but Solomon did not get a dime out of it.
Since then Solomon have been campaigning for government to articulate a national film policy that would promote the industry and attract investors and encourage young and upcoming talents to the industry. Regrettably, his efforts have not so far produced the desired results and film remains an art form that does not enjoy the required official attention for its growth down to this very day.
After a long hiatus, a real boom in Ethiopian film industry occurred some 30 years ago as the country embarked on a relatively free market economic system and people who have money started to invest in the industry attracted by the profit motive that the early films produced. The boom years for the film industry thus coincided with the relative tolerance of artistic expression that was impossible under the Derg’s “socialist realism” period.
During the dark days of the Derg, it was impossible to make films of any kind mainly for three reasons. The first is ideology that suppressed freedom of expression. Second is the absence of private investment as the industry was in its infancy and had not even made baby steps.
The third reason for the stagnation of the Ethiopian film industry was the absence of skilled as well as educated and trained filmmakers. Solomon Bekele and Haile Gerima studied filmmaking in Europe and America but there was no way they could transfer their knowledge to the young generation because o the absence of a film school in the country. The few attempts that were made to establish a film school.
The challenges of the industry
In the absence of these three factors, the Ethiopian film industry could not make the relative lips it made a couple of decades after the Derg regime. Even though the Derg authorities insisted on imitating the film ideology and culture of socialist countries, they could not provide the financial muscle need to move the industry forward. Film as an art of served as propaganda tool in socialist countries emulating the heroism of the workers and farmers who were considered the real heroes in building socialism.
In Ethiopia, film tradition was anchored in Hollywood movies and the audience was indifferent to films that have heavy doses of ideology and propaganda. The industry needed a new lease of life in order to cut new directions and attract sufficient investment and skills. It also required ideological liberalization and the granting of freedom of expression on the part of the government.
The boom years
However, the relative tolerance in arts and culture that was evident in the earlier years of the EPRDF regime were soon eclipsed by the advent of the so-called policy of “developmental art” that was little different from the socialist realism of the previous period. As we said above, the relative opening of the economy has no doubt led to the boom in the film industry in the subsequent years after the EPRDF regime came to power.
The industry could thus reveal the potentials that were hidden or neglected in the industry. The film audience was enthusiastic about the coming of local-language films that were closer to their lives and dreams than the Hollywood blockbusters that had little to do with Ethiopian lives and realities. Investors were encouraged to commission many productions simply because filmmaking has become a profitable investment that attracted many talents.
The technical simplifications of new film technology, the advent of the video filming phenomenon was also behind the boom that was in the making and made it easier even for the untalented practitioners to produce their films in ways that fit their tastes rather than meet the standards.
However, 2020 was a bad year for the Ethiopian film industry as the corona- virus hit hard almost all the sectors of the economy. Before the pandemic, it was usual for new films to appear almost every week. Now, production has ground almost to a halt. There are tentative signs of a slow revival now that some of the restrictions are lifted and movie theaters are opening their doors to the audience.
Reforms needed in the film industry
In case the film industry regains the dynamism of the pre-pandemic period, it should present a new face to the public by introducing internal and external reforms as to the nature of filmmaking as well as its reorganization as an industry are concerned. First and foremost, the film industry should not be a free-for-all exercise where people with little dedication or training are welcome.
Filmmaking is an art and like any occupation it requires education and knowledge from its practitioners. Money alone cannot make films. Neither passion alone can do the job. New, young and educated filmmakers have to be attracted by the industry through various incentives, such as growing investment and better technology as well as training.
One of the main weaknesses of the film industry is one of content or story. There are many story or film writers in the country but most of them seem to be imitating one another instead of telling their specific stories. Most Amharic language films focus on romantic and comic themes whose purpose is largely to make the audience laugh and watch banal and sometimes stupid romantic stories unfold themselves on the silver screen. Many of the stories are often poorly written exposing the poverty of story-telling skills and techniques on the part of the writers.
In case there is a successful story told from time to time, the trend that follows is to imitate that particular story with an eye to achieving financial and not artistic success. This does not however mean that there are no talented film writers or producers. Their numbers might be few but there are certainly many successful and skilled writers in the industry.
As indicated above, one of the chief problems in the local filmmaking is the absence of strong themes around which effective stories could be written. Ethiopia is rich in historical references that could serve as inspirations or themes for movie making. The glories of its past could be brought to the silver screen and boost its global image.
Films could be produced around its architectural wonders, its claim of being the origin of mankind, the many wars fought by its gallant partisans during the antifascist struggle, love stories that revolve around big historical figures, recent events that have changed the course of the country’s history, and so on.
In order to launch big production projects small filmmakers can join their talents and money and work together with big visions instead of wasting their precious times and resources on mediocre movies that cannot be watched twice.
These movies are mostly made to make quick money out of small projects or boost one’s profile as a filmmaker. The Ethiopian film audience deserves better and mature films because going to the movies is a longstanding tradition in Ethiopia and particularly in the capital Addis Ababa where most of the industry and moviegoers are based.
In the opinion of many veterans of the industry, the government should provide guidance and assistance for the development of the industry. Thus, a national film policy would create ideal conditions for the management of the industry and the development of the craft.
Last but not least, the upcoming generation of young filmmakers need to be provided with the tools of the trade and this can only be realized with the establishment a national film school, maybe under the university system or together with the departments of visual or plastic arts.
Outlooks on the future
As part of the new economic reform program, the film industry should be open for foreign investment or for Diaspora filmmakers. Foreign film companies should e encouraged to invest in the local film industry in such a way that local producers would be protect from asymmetric competition from the Big League while benefitting from technological and financial inputs, training and transfer of skills and knowledge.
The Ethiopian film industry is facing a promising future but for this promise to be realized the above reform measures need to be taken in collaboration with the relevant government institutions. The industry has not yet stood on both feet and needs constant support and incentives so that it can stand up and walk on its own.
African countries like Nigeria have turned their film industries into reputable and lucrative businesses that contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to their national incomes. With the necessary reforms in place, there is no reason why the Ethiopian film industry would not become a highly profitable business generating jobs, incomes and profits that would contribute to the growth of the national economy like any other economic sector.
The Ethiopian herald December 4/2020
