Adanech Admassu

Adanech Admassu (born 30 May 1977) is an Ethiopian filmmaker. The central axes of her work are cooperating with NGO programs in Ethiopia and addressing public health and human rights problems in Ethiopia and across Africa, with a focus on stories of girls and women. With Gem TV, she has produced many films about everyday life in the communities.

Biography

Early life Adanech Admussu was born and raised in the Mercato community in Addis Ababa, as the eldest child in a Christian family. Her father left the family during her early childhood. At the age of 16, she left school. She took care of her siblings while her mother was sick and later started selling snacks on the street of Mercato to earn wages her family.

Film maker In 1997 she joined a training program with Gem TV, one of the first film schools in Ethiopia. That program took children from disadvantaged backgrounds to train them to become filmmakers. It is where she first got in touch with film making and was given the chance to have her own voice. She also got opportunities for further educations during the training. The film won her a few awards in Ethiopia and around the world. From then on she has directed or assistant directed documentaries and films related to social justice and social welfare, often in cooperation with NGOs or international campaigns. Her focus has expanded from Ethiopia into other African countries.

Filmography

Documentaries and documentary dramas

Stolen Childhood (2002) Pillar of the House (2004) Reaching the Unreachable (2006) for this film.