A visual look at what is being hailed as “the first ever Ethiopian Sci-Fi Feature Film”. Created by Miguel Llansó, an award-winning Spanish filmmaker based in Addis Ababa. Featuring actors Selam Tesfaye and Daniel Tadesse Gagano the eerie and surrealist film features futuristic Ethiopian landscapes.
Miguel Llansó, an award-winning Spanish director, has boldly redefined Ethiopian cinema with Crumbs—a groundbreaking post-apocalyptic sci-fi love story that is the first of its kind in East Africa. The film, which premiered earlier this year at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, has already captivated audiences with its surreal storytelling and evocative landscapes, securing digital distribution in the United States through IndiePix.
The film is a collaborative effort between Spanish, Ethiopian, and Finnish production companies, emphasizing Llansó’s rejection of narrow national identities in filmmaking. “Globalisation should be an action taken by the people rather than the banks and transnational crap,” Llansó says, highlighting the importance of collaboration in creating art that transcends borders.
Filming was not without challenges. From quicksand mishaps to negotiations with armed bandits over location fees, the production team faced adversity with resilience. Lead actor Daniel Tadesse, for whom Llansó specifically wrote the role, brought a dreamlike quality to the story, blending vulnerability, courage, and a sense of wonder.
Crumbs critiques the decay of civilisation and the pervasive influence of Western iconography in Ethiopia. Llansó questions the dominance of global corporations and mass media, which he views as modern-day feudal lords shaping tastes and dictating lifestyles. “In the streets of Addis Ababa, it’s easier to buy a Beyoncé record than one by Mahmoud Ahmed,” he laments, reflecting on the erosion of local cultural spaces and traditions.
The sci-fi genre allows Llansó to reimagine Ethiopia from a fresh perspective, presenting it as a futuristic landscape rather than a victim of historical narratives. This unique approach has earned the film international acclaim, with audiences praising its rejection of stereotypical portrayals of Africa in favor of an imaginative and poetic vision.
While Crumbs has yet to be released in Ethiopia, its reception at international festivals has been overwhelmingly positive. Audiences have expressed admiration for its originality and bold reimagining of Ethiopia’s cinematic potential. The film has been featured at prestigious events like Cinéma l’Entrepôt in Paris and will soon debut in South Africa.
Ethiopia’s burgeoning creative scene, bolstered by its growing economy, is beginning to make waves in art, music, fashion, and film. However, Llansó observes that economic growth has not translated into widespread support for free culture or artistic dissent. Yet, with films like Crumbs breaking barriers, a new era of Ethiopian cinema is on the horizon. As Crumbs continues its global distribution journey, Llansó is already looking ahead to his next project. He envisions creating more international collaborations that celebrate cultural diversity and challenge conventional narratives.
In the meantime, Crumbs invites audiences into a surreal, post-apocalyptic Ethiopia, offering a cinematic experience that is as thought-provoking as it is visually stunning. Whether you’re a sci-fi aficionado or a lover of experimental cinema, Crumbs is a film not to be missed.
SYNOPSIS
Decades after the apocalypse and after extraterrestrial life had been discovered, the few inhabitants left in a hostile earth have struggled to survive by squatting and rummaging to make ends meet. For many years an alien spaceship has hovered in the skies, undisturbed and dormant, slowly rusting away. Tired of picking up the crumbs of gone-by civilizations, Gagano dreams his life away when not living in a state of perpetual fear. When the spaceship in the sky begins to turn on after a series of freak incidents in the bowling alley that Gagano and Selam call home, our miniature sized hero will be forced to embark on a surreal epic journey that will lead him through the post apocalyptic Ethiopian landscape. As he confronts himself, his fears, as well as witches, Santa Claus and second generation Nazis he will find himself only to discover that the memories that brought him on his journey and that he always thought he had were not really as he had been recalling them.�?
