A Seddon filmmaker’s love affair with Ethiopia will continue next year when he returns to make the first Australian short film shot in the African nation.
David Willing “fell” for Ethiopia while travelling two years ago. With his home camera, he filmed Walking With The Mursi, a documentary about his solo hike across the remote tribal region of the Omo Valley.
“There is such diversity. I realised how little I knew and other people know,” he says. “I’m heading back over next year, looking at shooting a film early in January.”
Already titled Lost & Found In Addis, the 15-minute film will trace the journey of an Ethiopian female police officer as she uncovers a crime.
Based on a true story, the film will be created with Ethiopian cast and crew.
“When I heard about this story and this woman I was really moved,” Willing says.
“One rule I had set myself was to create a film that was not about poverty, famine or war.”
Willing has been developing the script with members of the local Ethiopian community. He hopes the film will open the world’s eyes to a nation that has a long history but is more modern than people realise. “The capital Addis Ababa has great clubs, great cafes; it also has the biggest outdoor market in Africa.”
Willing has raised just over $10,000 through crowd-funding site Pozible.
As well as writing and directing the short film, he will be creating a ‘making of’ video about the project.
