Beza Hailu Lemma is a writer/director based in Addis Ababa. Passionate about both documentary and fiction, Beza has made several short films since he began his journey, which include Ballad of the Spirits (2016), Katanga Nation (2022) and Alazar (2024).
Katanga Nation has screened in over 20 film festivals worldwide, including Visions Du Reel, IDFA and FESPACO, where it won the Silver Foal for best documentary short film. Beza has also attended Berlinale Talents, L’Atelier by the Cannes Film Festival and TIFF Filmmakers Lab.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Alazar, a story of a resurrection in a dying town, is a film that explores the intersection between faith and the reality of nature. Shiferaw, «the father» represents a pagan belief in nature and returning what we take to be in a mutual, balanced relationship with it. Almaz, «the mother» believes in the dogmas of Orthodox Christianity, and firmly accepts her faith in the unseen will manifest according to the Lord’s vision. The hyenas and Alemu represent a belief in the real and physical world where everything is subjected to natural laws. Tessema, on the other hand, represents the open individual who is looking for the objective truth in everything. As a result, Alazar is a story of one man’s fruitless quest to understand the metaphysical.
