Story of two young men from rural Ethiopia dreaming of new lives is engaging at times – and boasts a cameo by Haile Gebrselassie
Opening with the impressionistic image of a young man sprinting across the desert, his figure blurred by the sandy blast of a dust devil, Jan Philipp Weyl’s film ruminates on life’s unexpected whirlwinds that can either uplift one’s hopes or blow them to pieces.
Abdi (Ashenafi Nigusu) and Solomon (Mikias Wolde) are childhood
Friends who grow up in rural Ethiopia. Their paths diverge dramatically when Solomon runs away to the big city with dreams of becoming a photographer, only to end up on the streets, scraping for food and mixing with bad company. Ten years later, Abdi, who idolises the Olympic runner Haile Gebrselassie, also moves to the capital, where he continues training and even wins a national championship. After an emotional reunion, Abdi tries to pull Solomon out of his precarious situation, but fate has other plans.