Ye-Sase Fable II
Puppet film screens

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Ye-Sase Fable II an Ethiopian puppet film was screened last Saturday for kids at the Alliance Ethio-Française. The 30 minutes film includes the acting of five children has some old animations. As opposed to the long Ye-Sase Fable I, the sequel has five small parts entitled, Enqulalu “The Egg”, The Cat, Toyo, and “Manin Tifeligalachu”, a popular Ethiopian nursery rhyme “Enqoqilish” [Puzzle] small plays are included in this film. The two parts, which were screened as a teaser, were Enqoqilish and the old style animation The Egg.

A film by painter Workneh Bezu, the making of this film took four months and consumed a budget of 86,000 Birr (~9,500 USD) that was sponsored by UNICEF.
The first production of the film took a year and a half to make but this one was made with a better sound quality that the previous. Three more characters were introduced in the film for one of the film Puzzle.

The costumes in the film were made by the artist and his friends at the Habesha Studio.
“I want to carry the Ethiopian mode of fables and the old character Sase will have a scene in the Toyo play where there is a story of a kid who is scared of the rain”.
Workeye film production is the maker of the film that is run under artist Workneh. And the Habesha Studio artists have assisted Workneh in the production.

Artist Workneh has also presented 57 painting works at the Alliance Ethio-Française exhibition. Among the themes that the artist has worked on Mother and Child, Sun and Moon, Sculptures, Angles, and Church are the series that the artist has presented in his previous exhibitions. And he states that his current paintings are focusing on children.
The film Ye-Sase fable also has a sign language support in some of the plays where a puppet will translate the speeches. Also the film is expected to be released in a month’s time. This film is one of the very few Ethiopian puppet films that will be premiered for children.

June 23, 2007