Trama

The Ethiopian intellectual Anberber returns to his native country during the repressive totalitarian regime of Haile Mariam Mengistu and the recognition of his own displacement and powerlessness at the dissolution of his people's humanity and social values. After several years spent studying medicine in Germany, he finds the country of his youth replaced by turmoil. His dream of using his craft to improve the health of Ethiopians is squashed by a military junta that uses scientists for its own political ends. Seeking the comfort of his countryside home, Anberber finds no refuge from violence. The solace that the memories of his youth provide is quickly replaced by the competing forces of military and rebelling factions. Anberber needs to decide whether he wants to bear the strain or piece together a life from the fragments that lie around him.—Venice Film Festival

Teza, which means morning dew in Amharic, tells a story of hope, loss, and reminiscence through the eyes of an idealistic, young intellectual, displaced from his homeland of Ethiopia for many years. The film reflects on the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie and on the effects of that regime change relative to Ethiopian history and society. Through a broader lens, the film Teza focuses on the ways in which political upheaval and social change have impacted cultures and nations across the larger African Diaspora.

Told mainly through a series of flashbacks, Teza follows the personal narrative of Anberber, who, after leaving Ethiopia for Germany to become a doctor, is led to return to his home village by lingering spirits and haunting visions from his childhood. Using the power of memory as its primary device, Teza recounts the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.

The movie chronicles Anberber's internal struggle to stay true--both to himself and to his homeland--but above all, the film explores the possession of memory, a right that humanity mandates that each of us have--the right to own our pasts.