Stockholm Film Festival

Awet, a well-mannered and bright 10-year-old girl growing up in an orphanage run by nuns, receives a visit from her sister Freweyni. She urges Awet to go back home to see their poor and drunken dad. Upon arrival, the father, an ex-freedom fighter, gives both girls to the Eritrean Liberation Front, and their entire existence is turned upside down. Following a dispute, Awet is sent away to one of the rival liberation army outposts. The orphan-turned-guerilla-warrior is set to lead herself through a war plagued by atrocities and fanaticism. Her main question: Why do they want to kill us?

Even though facing rough casting circumstances, where the Eritrean government threatened everyone involved, director Luigi Falorni has managed to put together an expressive film, where the overall impression is both fictional and documentary. Inspired by the memoirs of Senait G. Mehari, the global concern of child soldiers receives the big screen focus it deserves.

Premiere Status

Nordic Premiere

Orig. title

Feuerherz

Cast

Letekidan Micael, Solomie Micael, Seble Tilahun, Daniel Seyoum, Mekdes Wegene, Samuel Semere

Producer

Andreas Bareiss, Sven Burgemeister, Gloria Burkert, Berndt Burgemeister

Script

Luigi Falorni,Luigi Falorni, Gabriele Kister, Senait Mehari

Cinematography

Judith Kaufmann

Music

Andrea Guerra

Spoken language

Tigrigna

 

Other films from the Open Zone section

See all the festival films from 2008