Followed by a Q&A with Achmed Wassie, host of KFAI’s Voices of Ethiopia program
Moderator: Michael Senay, who served for eight years as a board member and public relations officer for the Ethiopian Community in MN, and for four years served as president of the mutual benefit association at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Minneapolis. A twenty-three year resident of the Twin Cities, Mr. Senay’s parents were witnesses to the Italian occupation of Ethiopia.
Outside of Rome, in the small town of Affile, a monument was erected in 2012. Where normally this would have been met with indifference outside of town, this monument was dedicated to Rodolfo Graziani, the fascist general who led the brutal Italian occupation of Ethiopia, and was later declared a war criminal.
Filmed in Italy, Ethiopia, and the United States, and following three people whose lives are tied up in these events, If Only I Were That Warrior is a searing, yet hopeful, look at the politics that led to the building of the monument. But it's also a thorough examination of the Ethiopian occupation, exposing Graziani’s many crimes against humanity, and revealing the strength of the many people who survived.
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ALSO SPONSORED BY
ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL
The Italian Cultural Center's film festival returns in 2016 with ten acclaimed Italian movies never before seen in Minnesota. From Thursday, February 18 through Sunday, February 21, IFF features a mix of documentaries, dramas, and comedies that take viewers on a spectacular journey through the landscapes and stories of Italy and its people.