Town Of Runners

Synopsis

Long-distance running is a way of life in the Arsi region of Ethiopia. In a country well-acquainted with poverty, famine and war, world-beating athletes are a source of intense pride. Many of the world’s greatest runners hail from Bekoji, a small remote town in the Southern Highlands. In the Beijing Olympics, runners from the town won all four golds in the long distance track events – more medals than most industrialised countries.

This success is largely due to the dedication of one man, Sentayehu Eshetu, the former PE teacher in the local primary school. Since his protégé Derartu Tulu became the first African woman to win an Olympic gold in 1996, he has trained many of the Ethiopia’s greatest athletes, including double Olympic gold winners Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele.

At dawn each morning Sentayehu oversees an enthusiastic group of over 200 young runners through a set of punishing hill runs. The town lies in the heart of Ethiopia’s farming region and the young runners’ lives are bound up with the changing circumstances of its agriculture. Bekoji holds few opportunities for its young people beyond farming. Athletics offers the chance of a different life.

The film follows the fortunes of Sentayehu and three of his young hopefuls as they make the journey from the local school track to national competitions, at the same time begin the transition from teenagers into young adults. Punctuated by their preparations for crucial races, the film delves into the children’s lives to understand the significance of running for them and the obstacles they face – to create a portrait of African youth seen not through the standard lens of poverty but of ambition and hope.

About the director

Jerry Rothwell (Director) is a documentary filmmaker whose work includes the award winning feature docs, Heavy Load (IFC/ITVS/BBC) about a group of people with learning disabilities who form a punk band and Deep Water (Pathe/FilmFour/UK Film Council, co-directed with Louise Osmond), about Donald Crowhurst’s ill-fated voyage in the 1968 round the world yacht race. His current projects include Donor 150 (More 4) and How To Change the World about the founders of Greenpeace. Past credits include The Late George Shaw, for Channel 4’s Art Show series, the Modern Painters series of short films for Channel 4.

According to the filmmakers

“The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation has reshaped the landscape of documentary in the UK, supporting an astonishing set of compelling and engaged films which think beyond television formats and that aren’t afraid of complexity or breaking the rules.”

“When I first heard about Bekoji’s runners I was interested in what it was about the town that made this possible.  Why was this happening in Bekoji and why not in another village down the road, at the same altitude and with the same genetic make-up?  And how did this shape the aspirations of its young people? Town of Runners is a film about opportunity; about the self-belief a child must find to join 200 others at dawn every day to train because they have a vision of what their life could be”.

Sales/Screening Contact

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Al Morrow, Met Film

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0208-280-9117

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