Amakki, a lyrical journey through Sidama's coffee-growing hills, intimately explores the interconnected lives of two girls and two women, celebrating the profound moments of love, loss, and resilience that shape the tapestry of motherhood and womanhood.
Awarded Best Feature Documentary at the 2024 Atlanta Film Festival
Coming to the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia 13-19 December 2024
Synopsis
Nestled amid the verdant coffee-growing hills of Sidama, a single dwelling becomes the stage for an intimate exploration of the intricate bonds between the women inside. Dorite, the matriarch; her daughter Mulu; Tigu, Dorite’s granddaughter; and Mita, Mulu’s baby, find solace under one roof. From dawn till dusk, they labor tirelessly - working the land, cooking food, and tending to livestock. While shared laughter, tender care, and freshly brewed coffee knit them closer, the weight of their daily burdens strains their unity. As external pressures encroach upon Dorite's household, their familial harmony faces greater threats.
Divided into four poignant chapters, Amakki delves into the joys, mundanities, and tribulations unique to each stage of womanhood. These snapshots weave together a tapestry of shared experiences, highlighting the complexities of communion amidst adversity. Amakki unveils a timeless essence of motherhood, a simple melody of compassion that transcends the boundaries of age and circumstance.
Mulu
A young mother with an inseparable bond to her only child has left her abusive husband to live in her mother’s home. From there she runs a small restaurant where she sells meals to the workers of the neighbouring coffee washing stations. As she struggles to make ends meet, her relationships with her mothers, sisters, and child prove to be the driving force of resilience.
TIGU
At a young age she was kicked out of her own parents’ home as her lice became too severe and unmanageable. She elected to live with her grandmother instead, where she assists in daily tasks and chores and cares for Mita alongside the women of the household.
MITA
A baby still learning to properly form sentences, she is the loudest personality in the house. She spends her days running around, mimicking her mother’s work, and spreading giggles through the home. Though the smallest in size, she is by far the largest in character.
DORITE
The matriarch of the household, she is a mother to not only her children but to her community as a whole. As she tends to her late husband’s land, to her cows, and to her home, she seeks the peace and calm of self-sufficiency.
PRODUCTION TEAM
cÉlia boussebaa
Director, Editor, Producer
As a French-Algerian woman, Celia Boussebaa’s values of decolonisation and indigenous knowledge have always inspired her to challenge dominant narratives. Through the feminine gaze, she offers nuanced and empathizing perspectives on womanhood and the complex human experience. Her work is informed by her unique background in psychiatric research at King's College London. She first practiced filmmaking at production house 4th Row Films in New York City. For Celia, cinema and psychology are complementary mediums for exploring the intimate art of the encounter.
CHRIStopher HAUSLER
Director of Photography, Editor, Producer
After studying media at Auburn University, Chris delved into the world of documentary, developing his unique cinematographic style that blends intimate observation with the abstract. Now studying visual anthropology at the University of Amsterdam, Chris is exploring concepts of belonging and home through ethnographic research.
RYLAND SHAw
Producer, Assistant Editor
MÓNICA BUSTAMANTE CASTRILLÓN
Colourist
EDEN LEGESSE TESEMA
Translator and Interpreter
MICHALIANNA THEOFANOPOULOU
Sound designer
iri di & MIZAN RECORDS
Musician