DEAD DONKEYS FEAR HYENAS GOES FRANÇAIS!

Great news! With the very friendly support of the French actor Mehdi Nebbou and the aid and human rights organisation medico international, we have now able to make a French-dubbed version of Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas. With this version, we look forward to being able to more easily reach out to the French speaking parts of the world.

Statement from actor Mehdi Nebbou:

“Today millions of small farmers and indigenous people worldwide lose their land to foreign investors and large-scale farms. Thereby all these people are not only deprived of the possibility to feed their families, they also lose their cultural identity and heritage. As most of these people are voiceless, it is up to us, to let this happen or stop it.”

If you are interested in using the French-dubbed version for a screening of Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas, please contact glynnis@wgfilm.com.

For more than 45 years medico international has been promoting the human right to health. Together with their partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America they are striving to achieve living situations that allow the best possible level of health. In 1997 medico and other members of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

More info:
https://www.medico.de/en/
https://www.medico.de/fr/

WG FILM HEADING TO IDFA!

MEET US AT IDFA. CONTACT:
Margarete Jangård / margarete@wgfilm.com
Fredrik Gertten / fredrik@wgfilm.com
Kerstin Übelacker / kerstin@wgfilm.com

Breaking News: Ethiopian business mogul detained for corruption

In Joakim Demmer’s Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas, we meet Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi, an Ethiopian-born business mogul and one of the key investors in Saudi Star Agricultural Development PLC, a food company whose farm in the midst of a national park in Ethiopia’s Gambella region, has led to an explosion of violence and thousands of civilians fleeing over the border to South Sudan. 

This past weekend, Al-Amoudi, among others, was arrested in an anti-corruption crackdown by the Saudi Arabia government. You can read more about Al-Amoudi and his detainment here. 

Al-Amoudi is the richest man in Ethiopia and second richest in Saudi Arabia, but also one of the biggest foreign investors in Sweden, most notably associated with Midroc and Preem.

From director Joakim Demmer:

— We hope that Al Amoudi’s arrest also will put the focus on his actions in Gambella pictured in our film. Many critical questions – the involvement of Midroc Europe in the building of the farm and foremost – justice for the displaced local people. It is crucial that this moment is used to facilitate an important discussion around not only Al Amoudi and Saudi Star’s actions, but a broader discussion about what these kind of investments mean for indigenous people around the world. We urge you to join in on this conversation.

The detention of Al Amoudi might mean a stop of Saudi state funds to the Saudi Star farm, without which it hardly will be able to survive. 

Watch the film here.

GERMAN THEATRICAL RELEASE OF DEAD DONKEYS FEAR NO HYENAS

This October 5th, 37 cinemas around Germany will release Joakim Demmer’s Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas! The German theatrical release is through distributor Neue Visionen, and the film will open up in additional cities throughout October and November. See the full schedule below, including a number of special events with Joakim Demmer in attendance. 

FROM OCTOBER 5THAACHEN – Kino Apollo  AUGSBURG – Kino ThaliaBERLIN – Kino B-Ware, Kino Hackesche Höfe, Kino Lichtblick & Kino MoviementoBOCHUM – Kino Endstation  BONN – Kino in der Brotstation BREMEN – Cinema Ostertor  BRÜHL – Zoom Kino  COTTBUS – Obenkino DRESDEN – Kino im Dach  DUISBURG – Filmforum  DÜSSELDORF – Kino BambiERFURT – Kinoclub am Hirschlachufer  ESSLINGEN – Kommunales KinoFREIBURG – Kino Friedrichsbau  GAUTING – Breitwand KinoHANNOVER – Kommunales Kino im Künstlerhaus  HEIDELBERG – KarlstorkinoKAISERSLAUTERN – Kino Union  KARLSRUHE – Kino SchauburgKASSEL – Kino Filmladen  KÖLN – Kino Filmpalette  LEIPZIG – Kino Nato-CinemathekLICH – Kino Traumstern  LÜNEBURG – Kino Scala  MAGDEBURG – Kino MoritzhofMÜNCHEN – Kino Neues Arena  NÜRNBERG – Filmhaus KinoPFORZHEIM – Kommunales Kino  POTSDAM – Kino Thalia  ROSTOCK – Kino LiWuSAARBRÜCKEN – Filmhaus Kino  STUTTGART – Atelier am Bollwerk  TÜBINGEN – Kino Arsenal  WEIMAR – Kino Lichthaus

FROM OCTOBER 11THFRANKFURT – Mal Sehn’ Kino

FROM OCTOBER 12THWIESBADEN – Kino Caligari  HALLE – PuschKino  ERLENBACH – Kinopassage

FROM OCTOBER 15THHAMBURG – Kino Abaton  

FROM OCTOBER 19THDORTMUND – Kino SweetSixteen

FROM OCTOBER 26THMAINZ – Kino Cinemayence

FROM NOVEMBER 16THKIEL – Kino in der Pumpe

SPECIAL EVENTS

BERLIN Oct.2/19.00 – Kino Moviemento: Film Premiere with dir. Joakim DemmerLEIPZIG Oct.3/19.30 – Kino Nato-Cinemathek: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerDRESDEN Oct. 3/16.30 – Kino im Dach: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerSTUTTGART Oct.4/20.00 – Atelier am Bollwerk: Film Premiere with dir. Joakim DemmerBOCHUM Oct.5/20.15 – Kino Endstation: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerDUISBURG Oct.5/18.00 – Filmforum: Film Premiere with dir. Joakim DemmerHEIDELBERG Oct.6/20.00 – Karlstorkino: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerAACHEN Oct.7/12.00 – Kino Apollo: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerBONN Oct.7/18.00 – Kino in der Brotstation: Film Premiere with dir. Joakim DemmerESSLINGEN Oct.8/19.30 – Kommunales Kino: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerKAISERSLAUTERN Oct.8/16.00 – Kino Union: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerLICH Oct.8/12.00 – Kino Traumstern: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerROSTOCK Oct.9/19.00 – Kino LiWu: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerCOTTBUS Oct.10/19.00 – Obenkino: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerFRANKFURT Oct.11 – Mal Sehn’ Kino Film Premiere with dir. Joakim DemmerHALLE Oct.12/19.00 – PuschKino: Film Premiere with dir. Joakim DemmerNÜRNBERG Oct.13 – Filmhaus Kino: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerERLENBACH Oct.14/19.15 – Kinopassage: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerBREMEN Oct.15 – Cinema Ostertor – Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerHAMBURG Oct.15/20.00 – Kino Abaton: Filmtalk with dir. Joakim DemmerLEIPZIG Oct. 20th/19.00 – GlobaLE KinoDRESDEN: Oct.28, Dresden – Umundu-Festival für nachhaltige EntwicklungGÖTTINGEN: Nov.13/19.30 – Kino Lumiere: Discussion with dir. Joakim Demmer and Ulrich Delius from the Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker(GfbV)ial trailer below.

“Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas was triggered by a seemingly trivial scene at the airport in Addis Ababa, six years back. Waiting for my flight late at night, I happened to see some tired workers at the tarmac who were loading food products on an airplane destined for Europe. At the same time, another team was busy unloading sacks with food aid from a second plane. It took some time to realize the real meaning of it – that this famine struck country, where millions are dependent on food aid, is actually exporting food to us. ”

— JOAKIM DEMMER, DIRECTOR

WG FILM'S DEAD DONKEYS FEAR NO HYENAS SHORTLISTED TO EFA AWARD, THE EUROPEAN OSCAR.

We are very proud to announce that our latest documentary Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas, from director Joakim Demmer, is one of 15 films shortlisted by the European Film Academy for the Best Documentary 2017 award. 

The award is often referred to as the European Oscars, and in the past only two Swedish documentaries has made it to the final shortlist selection – Searching for sugarman in 2013 and last year’s WG Film/Autoimages documentary Becoming Zlatan.

The director Joakim Demmer is happy and proud: 

“It’s certainly at big honor to be nominated amongst many great documentaries.  My hope is that this recognition will contribute to that the voices of the film will have an even bigger impact and that more people will get to see the film.”

Watch trailer “>here

Later this year five of these films will be nominated to officially compete for the European Documentary 2017 Award. The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony on 9 December in Berlin.

About EFA

Founded in 1988, the European Film Academy now unites more than 3,000 European film professionals with the common aim of promoting Europe’s film culture. Throughout the year, the European Film Academy (EFA) initiates and participates in a series of activities dealing with film politics as well as economic, artistic, and training aspects. The programme includes conferences, seminars and workshops, and a common goal is to build a bridge between creativity and the industry. Some of EFA’s events have already become an institution for encounters within the European film community.

Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas

A documentary thriller about land grabbing and the global rush for farmland – the new green gold! 

Around the globe, there is a massive commercial rush for farmland – the new green gold.  One of the most profitable new spots for farming is Ethiopia. 

Hoping for export revenues, the Ethiopian government leases millions of hectares of allegedly unused land to foreign investors. But the dream of prosperity has a dark side – the most massive forced evictions in modern history, lost livelihoods of small farmers, harsh repression and a vicious spiral of violence. Contributing to this disaster are the EU, the World Bank and DFID, providing billions of dollars in development money. 

Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas investigates these foreign land-investments and exposes their impact on people’s lives. In the pursuit of truth, we meet investors, development bureaucrats, persecuted journalists, struggling environmentalists and small farmers deprived of their land.

WG DOCS ONLINE

During the past 15 years WG Film has been producing documentaries portraying people, stories, political events, movements and destinies. Recently we put our entire catalogue up online and release it through Vimeo on Demand. Here, you can see everything from WG classics such as Walking on Water to our latest films, like Becoming Zlatan. As a special summer treat, we’re offering 20% off all films through August 15th, with the code: summerWG2017. Enjoy!

HONORARY DOCTOR

“Critical scrutinizer of societal changes”

Fredrik Gertten, owner of WG Film and director of films such as Becoming Zlatan, Bikes vs Cars and Big Boys Gone Bananas!*, has been appointed the Honorary Doctor’s title at the Faculty of Culture and Society at Malmö University. Portraying the ordinary person from a below perspective, he wants to use his stories to make a difference.

– “I am very happy and honored to be appointed the Honorary Doctor’s title” says Fredrik Gertten, “but it is probably the most unexpected call I have gotten in my entire life, when the Faculty of Culture and Society contacted me. I have not graduated from high school and don’t have any academic points.”

– “This nomination is also a recognition for documentary film, a genre that is today stronger than ever, with a global audience.”

The doctors lecture “Shoot the messenger” will be held on the 10th of October at Malmö University. Read more here.

Motivation for the nomination
“Fredrik Gertten is a filmmaker, film producer and journalist. Throughout his professional career, he has worked with Malmö as a base, and has both documented and critically reviewed the social transformations that the city has undergone since the 1980s. His documentary films about Malmö have included the demolition of Kockumskranen, the construction of Öresund Bridge and Turning Torso, the end of the newspaper Work, Malmö FF and Zlatan Ibrahimovich’s successes and adversities.

In recent years, Gertten has increasingly focused on global phenomena and injustices. His movie Bananas!* drew attention to the struggle of a group of Nicaraguan fruit workers brought to the multinational company Dole. Gertten was sued by Dole, but after an unwanted media debate, the mood was withdrawn. The process was then depicted in the movie Big Boys Gone Bananas.

Through his films about Malmö, Gertten has initiated indefeasible discussions about how the city develops and on whose terms. His documentary interventions into global processes have created opinion and contributed to concrete change. Gertten is therefore a highly worthy honorary doctorate for the Faculty of Culture and Society. “

DEAD DONKEYS FEAR NO HYENAS TO FESTIVALS

Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas has started travelling the festival circuit, with a great response. In San Fransisco, where the film had its US premiere, it was awarded the San Francisco Green Film Festival’s Green Tenacity Award. The film has also been nominated the F:ACT Award at CPH:DOX, ConScience Award at Docville FilmFestival, Dok.horizonte award at Dok.Fest Münich and to the Environmental Award at Sheffield Doc/Fest.

Here a picture of director Joakim Demmer and producer Margarete Jangård from the UK premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest. Next up, the film heads to Washington DC for a screening with DC Environmental Film Festival at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. More info and tickets here.

Interested in screening the film at your festival or event? Email glynnis@wgfilm.com!