Turkish movie screened in Ethiopia's capital

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA 

A Turkish movie was screened in Ethiopia’s capital this weekend as part of satellite showings from an international film festival.

The Saturday showing of Love Likes Coincidences (Ask Tesadufleri Sever) was organized by ambassadors in the capital Addis Ababa of countries -- including Turkey -- taking part in this year’s Asia Pacific Film Festival.

Ambassadors, invited guests, and renowned Ethiopian filmmakers assembled at the Italian Cultural Institute to see the movie, which is a romantic drama.

Turkish Ambassador Fatih Ulusoy told Anadolu Agency that his mission has a plan to promote Turkish culture to Ethiopians.

In Ethiopia, Turkish soap operas are famous and beloved, and people watch them on Ethiopian TV stations dubbed into local languages.

Tewodros Tesfaye, an Ethiopian actor, producer and director, told Anadolu that introducing Turkish movies also helps the growth of Ethiopian cinema.

“Many people are of the idea that we are being exposed to too many foreign movies,” he said.

But, Tesfaye added: “I say we’re lucky to have them in view of the fact that we can learn a lot of things from those movies.”

“So many Turkish movies being watched in a craze in Ethiopia means that we face competition, so that we’re inspired to produce quality movies,” he said.