EXCLUSIVE: Janus Films has acquired North American rights to the documentary Faya Dayi, the feature directorial debut of Jessica Beshir, a filmmaker being hailed as a “significant new talent.”Janus plans a theatrical release later in 2021 for the film, which premiered in January in World Cinema Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
The Mexican-Ethiopian Beshir returned to Harar, Ethiopia, where she had lived as a child, to make her documentary. It explores the generations, young and old, who cultivate khat, a flowering plant chewed as a stimulant that has vital cultural and economic impact on Ethiopia.“Faya Dayi took our breath away,” commented Peter Becker, Janus partner and president of Criterion. “Jessica Beshir’s
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