Ethiopia Athletics: The Athlete to be screened at Oregon’s African Film Festival
Portland, Oregon – “The Athlete†or “Atletu†in Amharic, the film depicting the life story of double Olympic marathon gold medalist and African hero Abebe Bikila, will be screened at the 21st Cascade Festival of African Films here next month.
The Athlete was co-directed by Ethiopian-American Rasselas Lakew, who also plays the role of Abebe Bikila, and Davey Frankel and was released in 2009. The film will be shown on February 17 & 18, 2011.
Abebe Bikila
Ethiopian track and field athlete, Abebe Bikila (1932-1973), was the first black African to win an Olympic medal, and ultimately the first man ever to win two Olympic marathons. This soft-spoken son of an Ethiopian shepherd shocked the Western world when he crossed the finish line barefoot at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Mr. Bikila became an inspiration and a model for Africans everywhere, and the world of distance running would never be the same. But as The Athlete demonstrates in a seamless blend of documentary footage and dramatic rendition, Abebe Bikila’s greatest personal challenges still lay before him. The Athlete is Ethiopia’s first Oscar contender in the Foreign Language Film category, nominated for consideration for 2011.
Directors: Rasselas Lakew and Davey Frankel
Film Released: 2009
Duration: 93 min.
Language: In Amharic and English with English subtitles.
Screening Times
Thursday, February 17th 2011, 12:00pm
Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building, Room 104
Centerpiece Film Sponsored by Reed College
Friday, February 18th 2011, 7:00pm
Hollywood Theatre Centerpiece Film Sponsored by Reed College
All films are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more on the film festival, please visit the website: http://www.africanfilmfestival.org
The Athlete trailer
