Faya Dayi – Cinema at the Museum (Black History Month) | Remai Modern

This February, Cinema at the Museum features a selection of notable documentaries highlighting the work of Black artists, thinkers and leaders. Each film is paired with a short film by a Canadian artist or filmmaker.

In her hypnotic documentary feature, Ethiopian-Mexican filmmaker Jessica Beshir explores the coexistence of everyday life and its mythical undercurrents. Faya Dayi is a spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf that Sufi Muslims chewed for religious meditations – and Ethiopia’s most lucrative cash crop today. Through the prism of the khat trade, Faya Dayi weaves a tapestry of intimate stories of people caught between violent government repression, khat-induced fantasies and treacherous journeys beyond their borders, offering a window into the dreams of the youth who long for a better life.

Faya Dayi will be paired with Hagere Selam (shimby) Zegeye-Gebrehiwot’s Diaspora Ethiopia
2012, Canada, 10 minutes, NR, Amharic

In this experimental short, the filmmaker envisions what life would have been like if her parents never left their country of origin. The haunting imagery and disjointed narration create a portrait of the place her mother and father called home.

Free with admission or membership. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive early to guarantee your seat.

The SaskTel Theatre is sanitized between events with an electrostatic sprayer, meant for spaces that are more difficult to disinfect using traditional cleaning techniques.