Running Against the Wind (2019)

Running Against the Wind, the Ethiopian drama film by German director Jan Philipp Weyl focuses on the lives of two brothers who dream large and spend the rest of their lives pursuing their dreams. Abdi (Ashenafi Nigussu) wishes to one day become a long-distance runner while Solomon (Mikias Wolde) desires nothing more than to become a professional photographer.

Early in their childhood, the two brothers part ways. Solomon escapes his small home town in the Oromia Regional State eager to make his way to the largest city in Ethiopia: Addis Abeba. Upon his arrival in the capital, he is immediately faced by the coldness and indifference that the city has to offer. With the inexperience and innocence of his soul, he soon ends up on the streets. Meanwhile, Abdi stays in his own town, becomes an amateur athlete and lands an opportunity to train to become an Olympic runner in Addis Abeba, hoping to follow the lead of local Ethiopian legend and gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie (who has a cameo in the film). Once adults, the two brothers ultimately reunite when they cross paths in the big city; nonetheless the roughness of the streets and the complexity of success loom to disrupt their camaraderie once again.