Brilliant and touching

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is a brave film that tells the true story about how Ethiopians can bring about change for themselves. It is based on the true story of Meaza Ashenafi, the founder of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association and Aberash Bekele - two courageous woman that changed history together. The story is beautifully told and the cinematography is breathtaking. The acting is also unbelievable with powerful performances from both leads. I highly recommend watching it for anyone interested in women's rights, legal reform, and changing cultural practices. It is also a breath of fresh air to see African women positioned in a powerful stance in their own stories as opposed to the usual victim narratives that are too often told. Kudos to the entire film team. I can't wait to see what you make next.

A bright 14-year-old girl is on her way home from school when men on horses swoop in and kidnap her. But brave Hirut (Tizita Hagere) grabs a rifle and tries to escape, but ends up shooting her captor. Meaza Ashenafi (Meron Getnet), a woman lawyer, arrives from the city to represent Hirut and argue that she acted in self-defense. Meaza embarks on a collision course between enforcing civil authority and abiding customary law, risking the work of her women's legal-aid practice to save Hirut's life. Based on a true story, the film brings to the forefront the immoral patriarchal culture of Ethiopia where the tradition is to kidnap girls to marry them. It also informs of the efforts of the gradual change brought on through progressive court laws. There are from time to time slow and dramatic overstatements, scenes that make the film 'filmy' like cranking up the score during the initial abduction of Hirut or diffusing the tension of a car chase by exiting the scene with a fade to black not long after it begins. To make the film look real everything in it is spelled out through dialogues and nothing is nuanced reducing the hangover from the movie. However, "Difret" is an undeniably powerful unpacking one of the ugliest stories imaginable making it worth your time and thought.

The story gave distorted and untruthful accounts about the lawyer. The film falsely portraying as if Meaza Ashenafi stood for Aberash; where in reality it is Mrs Etagegnehu Lemessa (who is now deceased) who battled for Aberash Bekele at the court in Arsi, Asella in 1999. Etagegnhu Lemessa, a professional lawyer,working for Ethiopian women lawyers association as a volunteer, arrives from the city to represent Aberash and argue that she acted in self-defense. The movie Difret changed the story as if Meaza Ashenafi fought as a lawyer. Searchfor original BBC documentary series following Aberash Bekele case trial. Based on a true story means that movie was based on actual events that happened not deceiving public with Fictitious entries.

I just caught a screening at the Jeonju International Film Festival in Korea, and I was very impressed. It was a riveting, well-edited and well-acted film about a primitive misogynistic mindset that is responsible for the abuse and deaths of women around the world. Based on a true story (probably one of the few with a relatively positive outcome) and filmed on location with an Ethiopian director and cast, Difret is educational and thought-provoking. I wish the director the best of luck bringing more material like this to the attention of the world. WELL DONE! And I recommend this film to anyone who has the opportunity to see it and support it!