05/04/2022 - Robin Dimet’s documentary is the portrait of an Ethiopian translator pursuing his inexplicable dreams

Fifty-year-old Sami lives in Addis Ababa in a small, cluttered room with mould lining the walls. An artistic soul and a man of grand contradictions, he has spent 19 years translating an anthology of Greek and Roman myths into Amharic to introduce his fellow Ethiopians to the ancient wisdom. A quixotic life’s work that at long last looks ready for print when filmmaker Robin Dimet meets the eccentric and self-effacing Sami on his endless wanderings around the unwieldy city, and a genuine relationship slowly takes shape between them.

This is the premise of Robin Dimet’s documentary Sami’s Odysseys [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which took part in the Next:Wave section of CPH:DOX. The feature is produced by Quentin Laurent for French outfit Les Films de l’œil sauvage. Prague-based firm Filmotor is in charge of its world sales.

Commenting on the acquisition, Michaela Cajkova, of Filmotor, told Cineuropa: “As a bookworm, I was immediately able to identify with Sami’s fate. This film is an incredible story of a man who has dedicated his life to literature, Greek myths and beliefs about his mission, which his surroundings cannot fully recognize. It’s a tragedy full of ideals set in a labyrinth in Addis Ababa. It will not be easy to sell this film. According to the current cultural discourse some festivals and institutions may have a problem with the fact that the director is a White Frenchman shooting in Africa, following the African character, but I believe we will be able to give the film the best possible life and find audiences who will fall in love with it.”

Check out our exclusive teaser and poster below: