Three hours outside of Addis Ababa, Hirut, a bright 14-year-old girl is kidnapped on her way home from school. Hirut bravely grabs a rifle and tries to escape, but ends up shooting her would-be husband. For her village, the practice of abduction into marriage is common and one of Ethiopia’s oldest traditions. Meaza Ashenafi, a young lawyer, arrives from the city to represent Hirut and argue that she acted in self-defense. Meaza boldly embarks on a collision course between civil authority and customary law, risking her legal-aid practice to save Hirut’s life.
Date: Sunday, February 8, 6PM
Location: Diana Center Event Oval, LL100
Director Zeresenay Berhane Mehari and Producer, Mehret Mandefro will join the audience for a Q&A after the film.
Filmmaker Bio:
Zeresenay Berhane Mehari is a writer/director with over a decade of experience making films. Born and raised in Ethiopia, Mehari moved to the U.S. to attend film school. He founded Haile Addis Pictures to produce his first narrative feature film, Difret. He has a bachelor of arts degree from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
