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Ketema, one of the characters played by Shewaferaw
Desalegn in Yewendoch Guday II – a new
Amharic movie –is in a panic because of the
likelihood of his wood workshop being shut down
because of the affair one of his workers, Zerihun
(represented by Zerihun Asmamaw), has with the
daughter of the man who rented the workshop to
Ketema.
Zerihun, who is almost like a son to Ketema, after a
long stay at the workshop, denies that he has had a
baby with Yibeyin’s (Mekonen Leake) daughter.
In the one hour and 43 minutes long new movie, a
continuation of Yewendoch Guday I, Ketema
considers not only Zerihun as a son, but also sees
all the other wood workers as his children for their
long stay on the job. These workers are A’emro (Admasu
Kebede), Mesfin (Mesfin Haileyesus), Emush (Wesagne
Hailu), Tewodros/Tedi (Tewodros Seyoum) and Kecho (Elsabet
Getachew), who formed Yewendoch Guday (Men’s
Affair) Group.
Zerihun seems to has this habit of practicing unsafe
sex and always seems to impregnate almost all the
women he meets; though he denies responsibility for
them all. But he does not persistently deny the last
one.
Emush also have this same problem; he too denies the
baby he has with his girlfriend, Martha (Shewit
Kebede). A’emro is mad at his girlfriend, Helina (Rekik
Teshome), for she has just declared a break up of
their relationship for a reason that he could never
understand. She is not serious though; she is just
trying to test him to see if he could ever be the
right man for her to marry. The test is so strong
that she sends one of her best friends over to him
to cross check if he still really loves her.
The coming of Helina’s best friend to the workshop,
however, seems to be a problem for Tedi and Mesfin,
who then keep competing to get her. Unfortunately,
she does no respond positively to either of the two.
In the story’s climax, Martha, appearing to be a
lawyer, takes all Ketema’s legal papers so that she
can trade the papers in exchange for establishing
the fact that the father of the baby she carries is
Emush. At this point, Emush needs to settle the
dispute with his ex-girlfriend for a while in order
to get his boss’s papers back. He does not find it
that easy, though. After a while, looking down at
his new-born baby, he decides to stay loyal to her.
His decision is not only a simple action that
changes his life, it also turns out to have a power
to awaken his friends, A’emro and Zerihun, into
seeing the life-time benefits of making up with
their ex-girlfriends.
Does he succeed to this end?
Oh, yes! He finally succeeds in inspiring Zerihun to
reconcile with his girlfriend, who is pregnant, and
in making A’emro marry Helina on a bus.
Behind this movie, full of humorous actions, is the
significant role of friends; Yewendoch Guday
Group were committed to having a happy ending in the
film production premiered last Wednesday, April 8,
2009, at Edna Mall Cinema (Mati Multiplex) in Edna
Mall Building, right in front of Bole Medhanialem
Church.
About 50 people, including movie attendants,
journalists, guests, the actors, and representatives
of sponsors were at the premiere.
The event also included an award ceremony for those
involved in the making of the movie, including the
actors, sponsors and producers. A DVD of behind the
scene events prepared by one of the sponsors, Yonas
Mobile, was also distributed for free to all the
premiere attendants.
Tamiru Birhanu, an artist who acted in a number TV
dramas, was one of the attendants. He said had not
been very optimistic that Yewendoch Guday II
would turn out as successful as its first part
before he watched the movie.
“Most of the time, people in the movie industry pay
so much attention and exert effort on their first
production, which they do not maintain in their next
works,” he explained. “My wife and I really enjoyed
the movie even more than the first part,” Tamiru
told Fortune after the premiere.
However, this view from some in the audience is not
one shared by some of those involved in the making
of both parts of the movie.
Admasu Kebede, one of the major actors, writer and
director of the movie, said that he prefers the
first part, though he relates it to his changing
roles.
“My role in the first part was only acting; the
director was Henok Ayele back then. Thus, I was a
bit freer than at this time,” said Admasu.
Zerihun Asmamaw, one of the major actors, has a
different view. Yewendoch Guday I was his
first movie and he liked it for the good memories he
had of it. Yet, he also adores this one for he
believes that he manifested better acting and
realized he has potential to be a major actor. But
he said he is not the only one.
“All the actors have come up with a more competitive
acting performance and potential this time,” Zerihun
told Fortune.
Dawit Alemayehu, the editor of Mizewochu, one
of the many Amharic movies coming out almost every
week, did the same job on Yewendoch Guday II.
Making a movie with a good sound quality despite the
Ethiopian movie industry still not having
sophisticated sound system gadgets is what he
considers a big success. Yewendoch Guday I
was of poorer sound quality.
“There are no sounds you can not hear this time,”
Dawit said.
Yewendoch Guday
II is produced by Arkki Sira Film Production,
with Yonas Mobile and Habesha Cement Share Company
as primary sponsors. Its entire production took six
months and cost 330,000 Br. |
