A critical Film Review
By Zenebe Tamirat
Title: Triangle- Going to America (Soset Maezen)
Directed by: Theodros
Teshome Kebede,
A Theodros Teshome Kebede Production,
2014 Ethiopia/narrative/ (89 Min) World Premier
On theatre at Baldwin
Hills Crenshaw Plaza
The 23 Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival
February 2015
Ethiopia is little known for its production of films until
recent years in which Ethiopian movies began to come up with astounding stories
in the form of Video films. The frequency of such video film productions is
also exciting leading Ethiopia, to become perhaps, a center of film production
in the Horn of Africa. In this process, we also see young and promising
Ethiopian actors of high calibor and hope for
the nation.
Ethiopia, as a nation undoubtedly
contains extensive potential and the abundant amount of resources for writers and
film producers on which they can base their stories. Concerning Hollywood type
full screen films however, very few progress has been made and requires a lot
of effort to exploit the numerous resources available in the historic
nation. The recent full-fledged screen
film “Teza.” by Haile Gerima was one good example that demanded the application
of trained actors and sound investments
in cash money. In many of his presentations I have heard Haile, complaining about
the lack of finance in his film productions. I think the shortage of finance attribute a lot to the scarcity
of Ethiopian full screen film production.
The coming of young film producers, to this line of artistic
works, one of whom is Theodros Teshome Kebede who directed the film “Triangle –
Going to America (Sost Maezen) [I will cut the long title to “Triangle” here in
after,] is also encouraging and may contribute the growth of film production in
Ethiopia. The purpose of this paper is to review the film “Triangle” stressing
on the story and provide my views to readers.
Watching “Triangle” at the 23rd “Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) was a pride
to all of us who were at the Baldwin Hills Crenshow Plaza, Los Angeles,
California. For me it was not only a pride, it was also an exciting experience,
as I was wondering what the film was going up to? What was the message? Why was
it named “Triangle?” And what were the causes for the absconding of young
Ethiopians in the story abandoning their beautiful country? It is therefore
proper to thank the film producer and director Theodros for his exertion to
bring Ethiopia to this prestigious movie forum that attracts the eyes of
the world every year as the festival takes place. Thus, “Triangle” has become
one of the 154 films selected to be seen in the PAFF 2015 thanks to Theodros
and the excellent young actors and
actresses who deserve our appreciation.
The film is all about the story of a group of young Ethiopians
who opted to take a dangerous route to seek asylum in the United States rather
than enjoying life in beautiful Ethiopia. But why abandon the beautiful
Ethiopia? Tringle says, it was
“stupidity,” unnecessary venture taken by the
immigrants while life was comfortable at home. It sends a message that
some flee their country for a reason of poverty,
(the two brothrs in the film who regret falling into such a horrible risk to
bring out their mother from poverty.) Some for escaping the preasure that is
being made on marriage issues (the young girl who opted to abondon her country
for the sake of marrying Jemal, a muslim youth lover) , and some for
dissatisfying in living in Ethiopia in general (The young man in the film who
lost his wife during the journey).
The route does not not show
its start point but indicates that it was an arduous journey that involves,
long distance walking in a hostile desert, comfrontation with dishonest guides,
dangourous sea voyage and extended
journey in uncomfortable dumping trucks.
One other thing I was
wondring about was the word “Triangle”
in the title. You find this at the end of the film to be related to the
three sides of coninents that the immigrnts route took place. The immigrants
start from the continent of Africa and head North-East (Presumably through the
Sudan up ward to North East Africa crossing the desert by foot and by by dump
trucks), then crossing the Meditranean
by boat and finally flying to Mexico by plane to continue the journey by a
wagon and half way by foot to the U.S.A.
This was again elaborated on
the question and answer session by the film director, Theodros, who said that
the title was taken from the history of Slavery, to depict the fact that Ethiopians who
abondoned their country for a better life abroad have voluntarily chosen modern
slavery.
The term “Triangle” is
related to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade of the 16th Century that
streaches its base line from Britain in Europe to the Caribean Island and
connecting the the tips of the adjusccent lines on the West Coast of Africa.
(See the Abolation Project:
abolation.e2bn.org/slavery_43.html).
Tewodros is trying to compare
the modern immigration to the U.S. to the compulsory slavery of Africans in the
16th Century. But what he lost in this comparison is that the core
cause of abandoning the beautiful Ethiopia, which is absolutely “political.” In
my view I see the comparison between the two immigrants differently. Contrary
to Tewodros's opinion, I see the former
as being compulsory and for enslaving the immigrants and the later as voluntary
to escape clampdown with a motto of attaining independence in latter days. In
fact I do not consider the former as “immigration” but as “displacement.” Again contrary to Tewodros’s thinking who
sees the cause of the problem in the later case as “stupidity,” I see the
problem as the failure of the Ethiopian dictatorial Government to entertain
its citizens with the necessary freedom to work and develop their country. I
see the Government as an entity that failed to establish the necessary democratic
system and good governance that is required to develop private ownership. I
consider the forcible application of ethnic based ruling system in which a
selected ethnic group, the “Tigre” ethnic group” is considered as a supreme power
responsible for illegal immigration.
Due to the ethnically
centered policy of the TPLF, Ethiopians of all other groups are harassed,
intimidated, imprisoned and killed in the streets without the due process of
law. Citizens of young ages including school boys are shot while going to
school or returning from school. There is no political freedom and when
demanded the answer is “bullet in the head.” This is the main reason for
abandoning beautiful Ethiopia leaving it behind for the Tigreans to enjoy it.
The film intentionally abandons to reveal the main causes for illegal
immigration from Ethiopia. Instead it beats around the bush to replace the
actual facts by other irrelevant reasons.
Commenting on my view that
the film fails to present the fact on the ground for the cause of mass
immigration from Ethiopia, Theodros says first he is not a politician to
comment on my view and second he says Ethiopians must fight for their rights at
home as the Americans are doing. Here,
he forgets the fact that Americans have established a democratic system
following the 1776 revolution and need not abandon the well set American
democracy.
I argue that, despite the
producer’s claim that the film is non-political, the reflection of the movie
sides with the current rulers. It
advocates life in Ethiopia was beautiful and manageable as if there exists
freedom of speech, writing, freedom to own land and other properties and freedom
to the pursuit of happiness. By inserting the term “Triangle,” it tries to tell
us that slavery still exists in the United States whereas the fact on the ground
shows my fellow Ethiopians are slaves
under their own Government forbidden even the least need of human rights such
as owning their own shelters.
I also argue coming to
America, particularly to the United States has nothing to do with slavery and
cannot and should not be compared to the 16th century slave trade as
the title of the film indicates. The Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States is equally
treated with those born in America in all spheres of employment, ownership of
property and the pursuit of happiness, voting and other democratic processes. Today,
Ethiopians in the U.S. comprise of engineers, doctors, and other profound
professionals contributing to the struggle at home as well as to the economic
and social growth of the U.S.
The United States is a land
of immigrants who abandoned their origin due to various suppression and
oppression. The constitution thus compromise the respect of all human rights and
the contents there in are inviolable. The United States today has proved
itself a nation that provides all opportunities including the possibility of
becoming president of the United States to all disregarding who came first or last, black
or white. America is no more a land of slave
drivers. So, that title, of the film, “Triangle” is incorrect and improper.
Ethiopians at home suffer
from employment just because they are non-Tigreans. Despite the fact that the
Tigreans in Ethiopia are minority, statistics show that they are more employed
than the majority Oromo and Amhara ethnic members. This is not a surprise
because the Tigrean party controls the economy with its numerous Trade, and
Industrial companies that feed it with billions of dollars. These companies offer employment opportunity primarily to Tigreans. The film fails to reveal this fact . It
also fails to show what alternative then has the rest of the youth to sustain its
life when the gun is pointed at its forehead and the door to employment is
slummed behind it?
It is true that the youth has
to fight for its rights inside Ethiopia but the struggle should also continue
outside of Ethiopia too for the purpose of strategy to win the fight. The fight at home needs the support from the
Diaspora in the form of knowledge, experience, finance and foreign relations.
Therefore Tewodros's thought of stay and die in Ethiopia as the three hundred
Spartans died in Sparta is a time passed and harmful thought.
The struggle is not as simple as
Tewodros thinks it to be. The dictators at home are supported by world powers such as the United States allocating hundreds of millions of dollars in support of annual budget a good part of which goes to suppress democracy. China is another big power supporting suppression in return to its interest of dumping Chinese workers in Ethiopia. Britain, France and Saudi Arabia are all supporters of the dictators at home. For example, recently the ruling Tigrean Party TPLF
disbanded leaders of a major party
“Andenet” that comprises, a vast majority of the Oromo and Amhara Ethnic group
members and replaced it with its satellite individuals. This party was an example of a youth group
fighting to establish a democratic Ethiopia within the inside. But the attack on the party
was harsh. The need to change such kind of dictatorship requires to integrate
the struggle harmoniously from inside and outside of Ethiopia.
The Diaspora is not engaged
in biting hamburgers only as Tewodros thinks but much more than that. The
Diaspora, other than wining the demanding life in exile it actively works to
bring about changes in the lives of Ethiopians at home. The three billion
dollar transfer per annum from the pocket of the Diaspora is a living witness
for what I am saying here. By the way, Tewodros, hamburger is not a luxury food in the U.S but
the least alternative for the poor to eat.
In the Question and Answer
briefings a brilliant question that says “How many of the people want to
abandon Ethiopia as the film depicts” was raised by one of the spectators. The
reply by Tewodros was awful. He says 40% of the population of Ethiopia, 36
million, people want to abandon Ethiopia. This is extremely exaggerated and
misinforming the American public with wrong data. My view on this issue I
stated at the spot was that there are no so many people in Ethiopia that match the said figure who know the
existence of the United States. A large number of people in Ethiopia live in
the country side without formal education. The number of people that went to
elementary school does not exceed 15%. I do not know the exact figure of how
many people may wish to come to the the United States, but I can guess that does
not exceed 1% of the 15%. Calculating the maths,
we can say round about 135,000 may wish to come to the United States. This is
not a big number compared to those who want to come to the U.S. from other
countries of the world including Europe.
The Amharic literature in the
film is satisfactorily right. It seems well written and in some parts the
expressions touch the hearts of their audiences. The film illustrates the
characters of Ethiopian folks vividly. Honesty, loyalty and bravery are some
of the characteristics well reflected in the movie. I do not know how much it is
true, but loyalty is less reflected in the case of the Eritreans character. By
a part in which Eritreans abandon a malaria
attacked female friend of them, the producer tries to illustrates the betrayal
characteristics of Eritreans. On the contrary by a part in which the Ethiopians
help this same girl, the film boosts the kindness of Ethiopians even to the
turncoat Eritreans. This may be taken as a response to the separation of Eritrea
from Ethiopia.The producer seems also to
try to show that there is no hard feeling between ordinary Ethiopians and
Eritreans because of the political separation.
What is strange in the making
of this film is the round about route to the United States. The regular illegal
immigration route known is crossing the Sudan border and stay in refugee camps
thereby wait until the UN arranges
refugee status acceptance in the U.S.
or Europe. The way to Europe, Italy and having visa from Italy and a flight to
Mexico as illustrated in the film is strange and unattempted. What
surprises me most in the movie was the illegal crossing of the U.S border in
collaboration with Mexican mafia group. One wonders what was the use of the
Italian visa issued to the immigrants.
Lastly, the confrontation
with the Mafia was interesting. It depicts the real Ethiopian character of
bravery. “Leave you alone, even the Italians could not frighten me” murmurs one
of the Ethiopians who finally gripped the neck of the chief of the mafia with one hand pointing a gun on his victim’s
head with the contrary. This is a real part that drives spectators with emotion.
In fact I was beyond control of my emotion for a while.
The final blast however begs
the question, “What was the LAPD doing when a war was going on in its territory.
All in all, in my view, the result of
the film is mixed with good and bad. The
actors and actresses are astounding and as excellent as they always were in their
video movies. The literature in the movie is good enough. The production is
competitive. Unfortunately the movie fails to depict the fact why Ethiopians
take such a risky venture seeking for asylum abroad in spite of the fact they
own a beautiful and resourceful country. Missing this important point of
critically revealing the objective reality in Ethiopia, reduces the movie to a status of an instrument
of Propaganda rather than a tool for rectifying the social, economic and
political problem of the country.
The writer, Zenebe Tamirat is
available at ztamira@yahoo.com
