Faya Dayi
Fall Grants 2020 - Post-Production Stage
Jessica Beshir / Feature Documentary / Ethiopia, United States of America, Qatar / 100 min / Original Language: Harari, Oromiffa
Synopsis
‘Faya Dayi’ is a spiritual journey through the rituals of “khat”, a mildly narcotic leaf chewed for centuries by Sufi Muslims in their religious meditations and today’s most lucrative cash crop in Ethiopia. Weaving a tapestry of intimate stories made of observations, poetry, ‘Faya Dayi’ provides a window into the hopes and aspirations of the youth living under a repressive regime.
Credits
- Director
- Jessica Beshir
- Screenwriter
- Jessica Beshir
- Producer
- Jessica Beshir
About the Director
Jessica Beshir is a Mexican-Ethiopian director, producer and cinematographer based in Brooklyn. She made her directorial debut with her short film ‘Hairat’, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was released by the Criterion Channel. Her short films have screened in festivals and museums around the world including IFFR, Hot Docs, IDFA, Tribeca, Cannes Lions, Museum of the Moving Image and the Eye Film Museum, among others. Beshir is a recipient of the Sundance documentary, Jerome Foundation and NYFA Fellowships. 'Faya Dayi' is her first feature film.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
World Cinema Documentary Competition, Sundance FF 2021 (WP)