On Sunday, February 23, Ethiopian cinema made history. Abbaa Malkaa, directed by Lencho Fikru, became the first Afaan Oromoo film to premiere at the Ethiopian National Theatre.
While a handful of Afaan Oromoo films have been produced over the years, none had premiered at the National Theatre until now. This groundbreaking event marked a long-overdue milestone for underrepresented Oromo-language storytelling, especially considering the theatre has been in operation since 1955. It was a revolutionary moment for a language whose suppression was, and in some ways continues to be, a matter of national policy.
Lencho rose to fame after the music videos he directed for popular Ethiopian artists, such as Yosan Getahun’s ‘3Obsa’ (Bullo), Lencho Gemechu’s ‘Muquxxaayee’, Mergitu Workineh’s ‘Obomboleettii’, Andualem Gosa’s ‘Waa Hoyyee’ and several other songs went on to become nationwide hits. In 2023, his direction of Gutu Abera’s ‘Deemi’ helped the song win the prestigious All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) for ‘Best African Jazz Group.’
Lencho started his filmmaking journey by establishing an acting academy that teaches stage management, screenwriting, acting, and other aspects of the performing arts to aspiring professionals. “Students trained by our academy make up 98% of ‘Abbaa Malkaa’s cast,” he told attendees in a press release four days before the premiere.
Abbaa Malkaa
“Abbaa Malkaa” tells the story of Jimma Galataa, a blacksmith forced into a difficult life by Ethiopia’s once prominent but now fading caste-like social system that stigmatizes and pushes handicraft workers to the fringes of society. While not as widespread as it once was, occupational group marginalization remains common in Ethiopia today, particularly in the highly stratified North as well as in the more egalitarian South.
Individuals who engage in trades such as blacksmithing, tanning, woodworking, weaving, and basket-making, as well as descendants of slaves are often considered subhuman, barred from marrying outside their group, perceived as bearers of evil spirits, and, in some cases, subjected to physical abuse. The stigma against such groups is so deep-seated that even those who no longer practice the trade continue to face discrimination. A 2019 study in Dembecha Woreda, North Western Ethiopia, for example, found that a parent refused to send their children to school after learning that one of the new teachers was a weaver.
Set in the 1970s, a time of military rule, war, and blood-and-soil nationalism that exacerbated the already-prevalent authoritarian mindset and toxic masculinity that exists in Ethiopia, “Abbaa Malkaa” juxtaposes the enduring battle between those fighting to end oppression and those seeking to maintain it, between exploitation and collective liberation, between forgiveness and vengeance, between good and evil, and between love and hate.
It’s not only a cultural milestone for Afaan Oromoo cinema but also a powerful commentary on the need for all-encompassing social justice and equality in Ethiopia. It invites the audience to reflect on all forms of dehumanization, be those rooted in color, ethnicity, religion, or as in Jimaa Galataa’s case, occupation.
The Premiere
The premiere at the National Theatre gathered a diverse audience, including renowned artists, actors, and residents of the capital who have long felt the exclusion of Oromo cultural expression from the city’s artistic landscape.
The event featured a speech by Lencho Fikru, who emphasized the lack of support from the business community. “The film was produced without a single sponsor,” he told the audience. “We got here through our individual efforts. While we didn’t let these challenges stop us from achieving our goals, I urge government officials, businesspeople, and scholars to support us. With your support, we can bring Afaan Oromo films to the Horn of African stage.”
Fikadu Dadhi, an instructor at the Bishoftu-based Dungo Acting Academy who attended the premiere, had similar concerns, stating that the business community in Oromia “doesn’t seem to believe Afaan Oromoo films are worthy of their investment.”
Following its successful premiere, “Abbaa Malkaa” is expected to be screened in additional theaters and city halls across Ethiopia. With its visually striking cinematography and rich storytelling rooted in an authentic portrayal of an Ethiopian society, Abbaa Malkaa has set a new standard for the future of Oromo-language storytelling in Ethiopia’s film industry.