Discovering Asalif’s Story
Mo's journey to discovering Asalif's story began with her deepening connection to Ethiopia. She explained:
"I had been working in Ethiopia for a while on different projects. I had good friends in the country and was becoming fascinated by the culture. It’s very unique, you know, there’s no place in the world like Ethiopia. It has been resistant to colonialism. Yet, one time I was flying in and saw this massive condominium complex being built on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, the capital. I had never seen this kind of thing here and it looked very European. I decided to extend my trip and speak to people in the area to find out what was going on.
I later found out that the Ethiopian government had put lots of money into building huge condominiums to manage the relentless growth of the urban population. In the process, many of Addis Ababa’s poorer residents had been displaced because they could not afford to live in the new developments.
Asalif was one of these people. I met him when I was hanging out in the condominium with my translator. Asalif had been displaced by the development and when we would ask him questions he would answer in a kind of fable. For example, when we asked, ‘where do you live?’, instead of explaining that he was displaced he would say something like, ‘I’m like a bird in the night, I fly off into the sky and that’s where I sleep’. I’d never felt such an enigmatic energy from someone!
I asked if I could start filming him and he agreed. So I went to meet his mum to ask for permission and we decided that he could be our guide through this story of rapid development and the loss of tradition. He was in the perfect place to explore this topic because he was living on the edge of the condominium but yet so connected to the traditional way of life. He was also aware of the social tensions that surrounded him, but of course, the biggest tension he was feeling was coming of age and needing to grow up and look after his mum."
Supporting the Displaced
Creating Spark of Creativity has had a meaningful impact on raising awareness about the issues faced by those displaced by urban development. Mo noted:
"The film has been really important in helping people outside Ethiopia become aware of these issues. And becoming aware is the first step towards taking action. There are not many people I’ve met outside Ethiopia who really spoke about the development of these condominiums or the ways they are affecting people’s lives. I feel this film has definitely sparked a conversation.
However, a civil war broke out in Ethiopia in 2020 for many reasons, including land issues which has affected everybody in the country. People watched the film and were very inspired by Asalif, but because of the war the displacement issue was not prioritised. That said, very recently this particular condominium has been given back to the farmers by the government. This is a very important time for the people who live there. I feel that the film could get more relevant and be used more amongst affected communities in light of this recent news."
The Central Message
Mo sees Spark of Creativity as a tribute to the resilience and creativity inherent in all of us. She shared:
"The beautiful truth about the world is that no matter how awful things get, we always have our own creativity. So, no matter what situation we’re in, if we keep that perspective, curiosity and that kid inside alive, we’re going to be okay. Asalif taught me that. And so this film is a tribute to creativity and being able to rise above the difficult stuff of life."
The beautiful truth about the world is that no matter how awful things get, we always have our own creativity. So, no matter what situation we’re in, if we keep that perspective, curiosity and that kid inside alive, we’re going to be okay
Embracing a Poetic and Observational Style
The film's poetic and observational style is a deliberate choice, reflecting Mo's love for the power of cinema to convey deep meanings through imagery and sound. She explained:
"The thing I love most about cinema is that you have the opportunity to let image and sound transmit meaning, especially when they’re put together and used in certain ways to tell a story. I do think we’re here on this earth to ask what is around us and why. And what I love about observational filmmaking is that we can sit there and in one frame or scene, distil something really epic that can’t be said in words. We’re able to just observe things in their spontaneity and juxtaposition of hilarity and sadness. Observational cinema is a way to linger on those things."
Inspiring Empathy and Curiosity
Through the film Mo hopes to inspire viewers to approach the world with curiosity and empathy. She shared her aspirations for the audience:
"There are real people all over the world who are like Asalif in many ways - one of them being that he gets bullied, as we see in the film. The film is a portal into his private life because it’s very much about his personal creativity and how he gets something out of that. I also think it’s good to think about the fact that some people aren’t fitting in - in all kinds of situations - and to always assume the best of people and that they have some sort of private thing going on. To keep in mind the layers to people’s lives and struggles and their strength to deal with them."
