85'2016Finland, Germany, Swedendirector: Joakim Demmercinematography: Joakim Demmer, Ute Freund, Zeb Davidsson, Mark Barrs, Peter Bolteediting: Stefan Sundlöf, Frank Brummundtproduction: WG Film
At the airport in Addis Ababa, porters unload bags of food to feed a starving country while, at the same time, other planes are loaded with food for export. This observation provided Joakim Demmer with the starting point for what turned out to be a seven-year film investigation into large foreign investments in Ethiopian land. “Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas” is a sophisticated political thriller that, at the same time, maintains the highest standards of documentary integrity. Demmer reveals a world in which Saudi investors and corrupt Ethiopian authorities, using financing from the World Bank, forcibly displace entire communities, pushing small farmers into dependence on humanitarian aid and initiating a vicious cycle of violence. Independent journalists and those defending the devastated environment are met with brutality. It would be difficult to come up with a better-documented film indictment or a more compelling way to question about our joint responsibility. As Demmer says, “The sugar in my coffee, the cotton in my T-shirt and even the flowers for my mother might very well come from stolen land.”
Maciej Nowicki
