When a massive Chinese factory complex attempts a high-stakes expansion in rural Ethiopia, three women in search of prosperity have their faith in industrialization tested to the limit.

STORY 

In the heart of Ethiopia, the arrival of a sprawling industrial park finds a dusty farming town at the new frontier of globalization. Motto, a formidable Chinese businesswoman overseeing her factory’s expansion, finds she needs every bit of mettle and charm she can to push through their ambitious plans, which promise 30,000 new jobs. Meanwhile, Ethiopian farmer Workinesh and factory worker Beti have staked their future on the opportunities the park promises. But as initial hope meets painful realities, they find themselves, like their country, at a pivotal crossroads.

Filmed over four years with singular access, MADE IN ETHIOPIA lifts the curtain on China’s historic but misunderstood impact on Africa, and explores contemporary Ethiopia at a moment of profound crisis. As the three women’s stories unfold, it challenges us to rethink the relationship between tradition and modernity, growth and welfare, the development of a country and the well-being of its people.

FILMMAKERS

Xinyan Yu is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker based in Washington DC. Born and raised in Wuhan, China, Xinyan started her journalism career in 2012 working as a producer for BBC News in Beijing. She has covered major breaking news across Asia and North America for a decade. Now an independent filmmaker, Xinyan has directed and produced content for international broadcasters including BBC, NHK, PBS NOVA, PBS Frontline and Channel News Asia. She is a New America National Fellow, a Firelight Media Doc Lab fellow, a Brown Girls Doc Mafia Sustainable Artist fellow and an alumnus of the Yaddo Residency.

Max Duncan is an award-winning filmmaker, cinematographer and journalist whose work has appeared on platforms including the BBC, PBS, The Guardian, The New York Times and Al Jazeera. He worked for a decade in China, first as a video journalist for Reuters news agency in Beijing and then independently, exploring the country’s meteoric rise from many angles. He has since reported widely across Asia - including multiple trips to North Korea - Africa, Europe and Latin America. He has won a World Press Photo Award, been supported by organizations including Pulitzer, and is an alumnus of Yaddo and Logan Nonfiction programs.

REVIEWS

”A compelling narrative about how Chinese influence in Ethiopia impacts both expats and native people. The camera is patient and probing, and the story weaves in political and social context successfully”
- Variety

"So richly captures an entire landscape of a nation in flux."
- The Moveable Fest

"The directors patiently capture the lives of Workinesh, Motto and Beti, a shared theme of familial hardship emerges."
- Eye For Film

“[An] absorbing and fascinating documentary… [A] fascinating glimpse into modern-day 
Ethiopia and into two colliding worlds… An enthralling journey into a little seen part of Africa."
– Mark Adams, Business Doc Europe

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