Jared Rasic, Film Critic and BendFilm (Oregon) Festival Board Member,
and manager of the Tin Pan Theater in Bend, Oregon
Below is an email I wrote to Jared Rasic, commenting on his eulogy for Beshir's film Faya Dayi, and how (in his own words): "The fact that 'Faya Dayi' wasn't nominated for Best International Feature and Best Documentary is shocking..."
Dear Mr. Rasic,I found your posting on Faya Dayi's lack of nomination for the Oscar prize through google (web search).I remember Beshir had tweeted it being "short listed" some weeks ago, and was curious how far it had gone.Beshir's film on a mind-altering substance, which is wreaking havoc in Southern Ethiopian Oromo communities, didn't make it.I wrote about it here (more links are at the end of the post).But, Beshir never clearly examines the socio-political conditions and background of these youth, and her film is actually a subversively political film.I put to test, in my articles, Beshir's true commitment to these Oromo-Ethiopian youth, on whose backs she made this film. She received thousands of dollars in prize money, but the Oscar escaped her. I challenged Beshir to put to use these dollars in actually helping these youth, instead of filming them.As I said, despite your disappointment at the film's lack of an Oscar nomination, it is not surprising that a film which is about a mind-altering drug, and which actually camouflages a subversive, secessionist movement, didn't make it. I don't think the Oscar's want to go against a country whose successful, re-elected, leader, whose father hails from the same Oromo community as the Faya Dayi protagonists. PM Abiy recently won the Nobel Peace Prize and is gaining accolades for rejuvenating his country Ethiopia, and the various regions within, including the Oromo region.All the best,Kidist Paulos Asrat