Running Against the Wind

2019 film

14 September 2019 (2019-09-14)

Running time

116 minutesCountryEthiopiaLanguageAmharic

Running Against the Wind (Amharic: የነፋሱ ፍልሚያ, romanized: yenefasu filimīya) is a 2019 Ethiopian drama film directed by Jan Philipp Weyl. It was selected as the Ethiopian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.^[1]^[2]

Plot

One brother dreams of becoming an Olympic runner while the other aspires to be a photographer. They go separate ways, but their paths cross again as adults.^[2]

Abdi (Ashenafi Nigusu) and Solomon (Mikias Wolde) are childhood friends who grow up in rural Ethiopia. Their paths diverge dramatically when Solomon runs away to the big city with dreams of becoming a photographer, only to end up on the streets, scraping for food and mixing with bad company. Ten years later, Abdi, who idolises the Olympic runner Haile Gebrselassie, also moves to the capital, where he continues training and even wins a national championship. After an emotional reunion, Abdi tries to pull Solomon out of his precarious situation, but fate has other plans.

The film explores the complexities of brotherhood, be it the bond between Solomon and his fellow outcasts, or the camaraderie among Abdi's athletic team. Though perhaps not always assured in their performances, Nigusu and Wolde capture their characters' first hug after years apart in a beautifully bittersweet moment. Shyly smiling at each other, the two young men suddenly and movingly revert to their childhood selves.^[3]

Cast

Mikias Wolde as Solomon
Ashenafi Nigusu as Abdi
Joseph Reta Belay as Kiflom
Samrawit Desalegn as Genet
Genene Alemu as Coach

References

^ Braun, Liz (14 September 2019). "Ethiopia has Oscar fever". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
^ ^a ^b Holdsworth, Nick (14 September 2019). "Oscars: Ethiopia Selects 'Running Against the Wind' for Best International Feature Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
^ Le, Phuong (11 June 2021). "Running Against the Wind review – brothers fight for their future in Ethiopian sports drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2021.