Le pays interdit

In the midst of the 1984-85 famine, the Ethiopian government was spending a million dollars a day to wage war in its northern province of Eritrea. Yet, according to the UN, two days of military spending would have been enough to stop the desertification of Ethiopia. Shot from 1985 to 1989, this film traces the roots of the conflict and its terrible consequences for civilian populations. A Muslim poet and an Eritrean doctor talk about their fight for peace and to overcome age-old mentalities that hinder the realization of their rights and freedoms. Beyond the conflict, Mamazeinab and Assefaw Tekeste give us a glimpse of a different society, with innovative projects in health, education, women’s rights and environmental protection: fragile signs but which make possible hope.

v. anglaise: The Forbidden Land

Directed by :

Danièle Lacourse and Yvan Patry