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IMDbPro

Faya Dayi

  • 20212021
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
354
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
12,373
15,821
Faya Dayi (2021)
A spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for centuries for religious meditations - and Ethiopia's most lucrative cash crop today.
Play trailer2:09
1 Video
9 Photos
DocumentaryDrama
A spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for centuries for religious meditations - and Ethiopia's most lucrative cash crop... Read allA spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for centuries for religious meditations - and Ethiopia's most lucrative cash crop today.A spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for centuries for religious meditations - and Ethiopia's most lucrative cash crop today.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
354
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
12,373
15,821
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Jessica Beshir
    • Writer
      • Jessica Beshir
    • Stars
      • Murano Mlbb
      • Kawa Sherif
      • Salih Sigirci
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jessica Beshir
    • Writer
      • Jessica Beshir
    • Stars
      • Murano Mlbb
      • Kawa Sherif
      • Salih Sigirci
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
    • 81Metascore
    • Awards
      • 10 wins & 23 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:09
    Official Trailer

    Photos9

    Faya Dayi (2021)
    Faya Dayi (2021)
    Faya Dayi (2021)
    Faya Dayi (2021)
    Faya Dayi (2021)
    Faya Dayi (2021)
    Faya Dayi (2021)
    Faya Dayi (2021)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Murano Mlbb
    • Murano
    Kawa Sherif
    • Kawa Sherif
    Salih Sigirci
    • Salih
    • Director
      • Jessica Beshir
    • Writer
      • Jessica Beshir
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Soundtracks
      Kenna Uumaa
      Written and performed by Mehandis Geleto

    User reviews2

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Mystical and profoundly moving
    Very few films are this ruminative and this hypnotic. Completely mesmerizing, the black and white never feels like a gimmick at all and only enhances Faya Dayi's effectiveness. The film captures the rituals around 'khat,' a stimulant hallucinogenic leaf along with its inception, harvesting, consumption and business in rural Ethiopian town of Harar. It is also used in Sufism rituals but the WHO has classified it as abuse. We see that almost every adult is prone to chew Khat to escape the harsh reality and they see it as an alternative for missing out on the eternal water. The younger generation dream of a better future and it is seen through the eyes of Mohanmmad, one of the characters in this amazing documentary. He wishes to escape and there is evidence of a vivid imagination. But reality soon explodes in his face, separated from his mother, he is caught in the cycle of no return resonating with the socio-political turmoil of the region and will never be able to leave it behind.

    "Faya Dayi" is the debut feature by Ethiopian-Mexican filmmaker Jessica Beshir, who spent 10 years crafting a black-and-white niche oddity supported by great sound design and score. On the surface, this might sound like a generic documentary with all the genre troupes but Jessica Beshir takes a slow and meditative approach, managing to immerse the viewer in just over two hours with a deep thought aimed at the Khat harvesters. I really hope it takes home the Oscar, a much deserved honour indeed and i wish it will harvest many appreciations. But i feel this film's success would be more rooted in the deep discussions and lasting experience it evokes after completing it.
    helpful•2
    0
    • samxxxul
    • Jan 12, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 3, 2021 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Ethiopia
      • United States
      • Qatar
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • Amharic
    • Also known as
      • Файя Дайи
    • Filming locations
      • Harar, Ethiopia
    • Production companies
      • Doha Film Institute
      • Flies Collective
      • Ford Foundation - Just Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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