FAYA DAYI

By Jessica BESHIR

VISIONS DU RÉEL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - as FEST

Social issues - Completed 2021

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Festivals
& Awards

Visions du Réel 2021
International Feature film Competition Grand Jury Prize
Sundance 2021
    • Year of production
    • 2021
    • Genres
    • Social issues
    • Countries
    • ETHIOPIA, QATAR, USA
    • Languages
    • ENGLISH
    • Duration
    • 120 mn
    • Director(s)
    • Jessica BESHIR
    • Producer(s)
    • Jessica BESHIR (MERKHANA FILMS)
    • Synopsis
    • Ethiopian legend has it that khat, a stimulant leaf, was found by Sufi Imams in search of eternity. Inspired by this myth, Faya Dayi is a spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf that Sufi Muslims chewed for religious meditations – and Ethiopia’s most lucrative cash crop today. Through the prism of the khat trade, Faya Dayi weaves a tapestry of intimate stories of people caught between violent government repression, khat-induced fantasies and treacherous journeys beyond their borders, and offers a window into the dreams of the youth who long for a better life.