Difret (Ethiopia, 2014)
Story of a crusading attorney defends a 14-year old Ethiopian who stands trial for killing the man who abducted and raped her. 
Discussion Questions:
Character and Story
1. Describe Hirut.
- What are her goals and dreams at the beginning of the film?
- What is her life like the village?
- How does she change during the couse of the story?
- What do you think the future hold for Hirute?
2. Describe Meaza.
- What is Meaza's background? Why did she become a lawyer? What are Meaza"s goals and values?
- Why is Hirut's case so important to Meaza?
- What challenges does Meaza face in representing Hirut?
3. Describe Hirut's family.
- How are they like the other families in teh village and how are they different?
- How do they react to Meaza's offer to represent Hirute in court?
- Describe Hirut's relationship with her sister.
- In what ways do Hirute and her sisters represent the past, present, and future of women's rights in rural Ethiopia?
- What do you think will happen to her family once Hirut is released and the court case is finished?
4. Who are the mae characters in this film?
- Which male characters are "good," which are "bad", and which ar emore complex?
- Why does the proseutor dislike Meaze? How do you think the men in the village feel about Meaza?
- What varying models and representations of masculiity do you see in this film?
- How do you think these models will continue to grow and change in the aftermath of Hirut's case?
Context
1. Describe the facts of Hirut's case.
- What is the relationship in Ethiopia between national alw and tribal law?
- Where did thise two legal ststems differ in their treatment of Hirut?
- Do you thnk there s a palce fro tribal law and a council of elders in a society like Ethiopia?
- Can a society remain connected toits heritage and tradition and also modernize to protect the basic human rights of its citizens?
2. Why does Meaza sue the Minister of Justice?
-What legal precendent is she trying to overturn?
-What challenges does the lawsuit cause for Meaza and her organization?
-What happens to Hirute in the aftermath of the lawsuit?
-Why did Meaza feel that she eneded to take such drastic measures?
- What is the result of the lawsuit?
3. Why is marriage so important in a village like the oe where Hirute and her family live?
- How are marriage and traditional family structures connected to villagers' livelihoods and exonmoic well-being?
-Why does a tradition like abduction for marriage exist?
-What conflicts do formal education and higher eduaction pose for traditional marriages?
-Why are peopple like Meaza and the local teacher criticized for remaining unmarried?
-What do yuo think will need to change about teh culture as a whole in order for attitudes about marriage to change?
4. When Hirute first arrives at Meaza's house, she asks, "Are you a bad woman?"
- What is Hirut's deinition of a bad woman?
-How does Meaza respons?
-Do you think the Meaza is a good role model for Hirut?
-Do definitons of good and bad woman exist in your culture?
-How do role models like Meaza help to undermine narrow ideas about what makes a good woman?
5. While in the city, Hirute misses her familyy and village?
- What does she miss about village life?
-What are the positive elements of culture, tradition and family that modernization and urbanization can threaten?
-Which elements of a traditional lifestyle can coexist with women's rights and which ar emutally exclusive?
-What struggles do peoploe all over th eworld face in working to balance cultural traditions and progessive values?
6. In the end of the film, Hirut cries because she isn't able to protect her younger sister.
- Do you think that Hirut has made a difference for her sister?
- Do you think that any of the villagers changed their minds about Hirut's case?
- What work remains to be done to ensure that women in rural areas enjoy full huma rights?
- Do you think that this film is helping to promote women's right in a rural Ethiopia?
Style and Message/Reading the Film for Media Literacy
1. Difret is based on a true story.
- What challenges do you think the filmmakers faced in translating real events into a cniematic narratve?
-What changes do you think a writer/ director makes to a true story in order to transform it into a film?
-Can you think of any stories that you have heard on the news or experienced in your life that would translate well into films?
-What elements of teh Difret story made it a good choice for a film?
2. Dirfret is a story about Hirut and Meaza and a complicated court case, but it also gives the filmmakers a chance to show beautiful footage of teh Ethiopian landscape.
- Have you seen pictures or moving images of Ethiopia before?
- How did those compare to the imagery that you saw in Difret?
- What elements of the landscape and the built environment made the strongest impressions on you?
- How do you think the filmmakers want you to see Ethiopia?
3. What techniques do the filmmakers use to communicate Hirut's thoughts and emotions?
- How do you know what Hirute is feeling at any given time?
-What does the music sound like when Hirute is suffering?
-How are flashback and dream imagery used in this film?
-How do you think these techniwues help the audience to identify with Hirut?
