Our Ethiopian Short Film Day is taking place for the fourth time since 2015. We held our last Short Film Day in 2023 – and in the meantime, some great new films have been made. This time, we are offering a particularly varied program – as always, with fantastic films by Ethiopian and international filmmakers.
Art of Buna e.V. Gallery | Genter Str. 26 | 50672 Cologne Saturday, January 24, 2026 | 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
Unfortunately, we can only offer 30 seats for film screenings. If you would like to make a reservation, please send a short email to: post@art-of-buna.de.
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HĀGARĒ
by Mickies Kiros (Ethiopia 2023)
5 Min. B/W / Amharic, with English subtitles
Filmed in the vibrant heart of Addis Ababa, Hāgarē captures intimate moments of family, daily life, and ancestral wisdom. Through the lens of a diaspora explorer, the film weaves a rich tapestry of connection, culture, and the timeless bonds that shape a community.
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ALAZAR
by Beza Hailu Lemma (Ethiopia/Canada/France 2024)
35 Min. Color / Amharic, with English subtitles
In contemporary Ethiopia, the exodus of a farming community is interrupted when the patriarch of a prominent family disappears from his grave. Tessema, his son, begins to question the Church‘s divine explanation, forcing him to launch his own investigation.
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KEEPING THREADS ALIVE
by Yeabsira Eshetu Mandefro (Ethiopia 2025)
7 Min. Color / Amharic, with English subtitles
This short film by Ethiopian filmmaker Yeabsira Eshetu Mandefro journeys into Addis Ababa to document the life and work of Getabalew Abebe, a master craftsman devoted to the traditional weaving of the Habesha Kemis — a beloved cultural garment in Ethiopia.
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THE RIVER
by Herrana Addisu (Ethiopia 2024)
18 Min. Color / Amharic, with English subtitles
The River is a film that pays homage to culture and the experiences of women through the lens of Ethiopia and draws inspiration from the director’s childhood home, Kebena. The film not only celebrates the art of beauty, but will also highlight the systemic barriers women face in the context of forced marriage, education and water access.
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IT IS A SOUL: A PORTRAIT OF HAILU MERGIA
by Lorena Alvarado & Adam Golfer (USA 2021)
14 Min. Color / Amharic, with English subtitles
A short film documenting Ethiopian musician Hailu Mergia‘s life as the leader of the Walias Band in the 1970s, his immigration to the United States and his subsequent re-emergence as a performer in 2014.
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HOW WAS MY DAY
by Hanna Tadesse Haile (Ethiopia 2016)
4 Min. Color / Amharic, with English subtitles
“How was my day?” is a short film that profoundly depicts the pressing issue of gender discrimination in Ethiopia and other parts of the world.
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I‘VE SEEN SO MUCH
by Gonzalo Guajardo (Ethiopia 2017)
5 Min. Color / Amharic, with English subtitles
Gonzalo Guajardo’s short documentary “I’ve Seen So Much” begins with a close-up of a nail being hammered into a plank. What makes this common action distinct is seeing both hammer and nail confidently held by two pairs of toes. Possessor of these nimble extremities is film subject Ethiopian carpenter Sintayehu Tesale.
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