Cert 12A
99 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate threat, sexual violence theme
ANGELINA Jolie’s name has become synonymous with high-quality cinema in recent years.
This record is maintained with Difret, an enthralling drama from Ethiopia.
It surrounds the tradition in country communities of men literally abducting young women so they can marry them.
Difret highlights the true story of 14-year-old girl, Hirut (Tizita Hagere), who is snatched while walking home from school.
She is then beaten and raped by the man who intends, without her consent, to marry her.
But Hirut is a girl of great spirit and, during an escape bid the following day, shoots her ‘suitor’ dead.
This sparks an engrossing conflict between human rights and historic conventions.
On one side is a women’s group, led by a head-strong campaigner (Meron Getnet), which faces a justice system that treats women as second-class citizens.
Getnet is excellent as the feisty lawyer who believes Hirut acted in self-defence. Meanwhile, Hagere plays Hirut with great conviction.
Difret was barred from cinemas in Ethiopia because of its content. That ban has now been lifted and the film has been deservedly critically acclaimed worldwide.
Jolie was the film’s executive producer and her hallmark of an engrossing against-the-odds story is very evident but its director Zeresenay Mehari deserves most of the praise for keeping Difret's intensity high.
Director Zeresenay Berhane Mehari: "For the last ten years I have witnessed Ethiopia change and grow in ways that are conflicted. I wanted to make a film that captured this flux and translated the struggle of moving from an old Ethiopia to a new one"
Reasons to watch: Insightful and powerful
Reasons to avoid: Its final scenes left unanswered questions
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 8/10