Haile Gerima’s
upcoming documentary
The Children of Adwa: 40 Years Later.
Conceived as a sequel to his prize-winning documentary ADWA: An African Victory, The Children of Adwa tells the story of Ethiopia’s response to Italy’s invasion in 1935, forty years after Italy’s defeat at the Battle of Adwa in 1896.
The Children of Adwa combines personal accounts and memories of the war with age-old folklore, war chants, and praise poetry, to contour the communal trauma of the invasion and capture the collective spirit of resistance that ensured Ethiopia’s victory and enduring independence from colonial greed.
For several decades, Haile has recorded personal accounts of resistance fighters and documented stories of patriot elders who were first-hand witnesses of the war. His extensive research for The Children of Adwa brings to light extraordinary images and little-known historical footage that weaves together a dynamic narrative of the people and events surrounding the war.
SYNOPSIS
The Children of Adwa: 40 Years Later is a feature-length documentary about Ethiopia’s decisive anti-colonial victory against Italy’s second invasion in 1935, a punitive expedition designed to revenge her defeat at the Battle of Adwa in 1896.
Nestled between majestic mountains in the north, the town of Adwa was the site of this battle that called upon young and old to stand firm and withstand the onslaught of modern weaponry and the rain of mustard gas to defend Ethiopia’s sovereignty.
The Children of Adwa links these two invasions through collective memory and generational stories, threading themes of resistance, survival, and hope imparted through warnings about the imminent return of Italians by warriors of the Battle of Adwa to their children.
Tax deductible donations can be made to Positive Productions, Inc. (PPI), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit dedicated to the development of black independent filmmaking.
As a non-profit fiscal sponsor for this film, PPI will accept tax-deductible donations on behalf of the production company, Negod Gwad Productions.
100% of your donation goes towards post-production costs for Children of Adwa.