Ethiopia
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A historical and ethnographic commentary on Ethiopia’s people and government, ending in a recounting of war with Italy. Made during the reign of Haile Selassie, footage includes common people at work in the field and city as well as a military procession and reenactment. Narration has a superior and biased tone, making for an interesting sociological study all its own.
Credits
Burton Holmes Films (producer)
Complete catalog record
Date: circa 1939
Cfa collection: Margaret Conneely Collection
Subjects: Ethiopia; City and town life; War; Religions; Manners and customs; Africa
Places: Africa > Ethiopia
Language: English
Shot log: 00:00 - Titles and introductory text. Pages of an atlas turn, indicating Ethiopia. Var CU and MS of groups surrounding dancing performers on the street. TS of barren landscape. VS of cattle. ES PAN of a village of huts. Local people at work; MS and CU of man working a loom, woman makes a clay bowl on the ground, man kneading dough and VS of men baling and transporting hay.; 04:07 - VS on the crowded streets of Addis Ababa; switchboard workers, throngs of people on the roadside, a tailor at work outside, selling cloth, traffic control and policemen.; 06:15 - LS of numerous people hurrying while carrying goods on a feast day. An army of men rushing in a mass with swords. A procession forms; costumed men on horses assemble, uniformed men with firearms march, Emporer Haile Selassie joins. MS PAN and CU of costumed high ranking men. Var LS and MS of horseback reenactments of past battles in a field. CU of Selassie as he looks on.
Cfa elements: Print, 385 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/2799
Cfa collection: Margaret Conneely Collection
Subjects: Ethiopia; City and town life; War; Religions; Manners and customs; Africa
Places: Africa > Ethiopia
Language: English
Shot log: 00:00 - Titles and introductory text. Pages of an atlas turn, indicating Ethiopia. Var CU and MS of groups surrounding dancing performers on the street. TS of barren landscape. VS of cattle. ES PAN of a village of huts. Local people at work; MS and CU of man working a loom, woman makes a clay bowl on the ground, man kneading dough and VS of men baling and transporting hay.; 04:07 - VS on the crowded streets of Addis Ababa; switchboard workers, throngs of people on the roadside, a tailor at work outside, selling cloth, traffic control and policemen.; 06:15 - LS of numerous people hurrying while carrying goods on a feast day. An army of men rushing in a mass with swords. A procession forms; costumed men on horses assemble, uniformed men with firearms march, Emporer Haile Selassie joins. MS PAN and CU of costumed high ranking men. Var LS and MS of horseback reenactments of past battles in a field. CU of Selassie as he looks on.
Cfa elements: Print, 385 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/2799
Related films
Sources
- Chicago Film Archives · record ↗ — title, year, creator, length, format, color, sound, genre, description, credits, catalog record, video
Record added 2026-11-08 21:25:08