How One Ethiopian Movie Director Is Taking Her Self-Funded Film to Major Theaters Across the U.S.

By Faisale Shefawe
Published on 11/10/25

As director Kidist Bayelign prepares to screen her self-funded film Liya at a major theater in Alexandria, Virginia this week, she can’t shake one nervous thought: What if something goes wrong?
What if the projector fails mid-show?
What if the screen suddenly goes black?

But this isn’t her first time standing in front of a large audience. Liya has already been shown twice—each time drawing strong reactions. The film tells the story of an Ethiopian woman in her late thirties pressured into marrying a diaspora man and moving to the United States. And while Kidist is confident she has created a great movie, she is equally certain about something else: this will be the last time she funds a film with her own money.

Kidist, who also plays the lead character Liya, began acting at age 21 in Addis Ababa. Renowned writer and director Abraham Tesegaye frequently cast her as the main character in several films that went on to become widely popular.

Growing up, Kidist never imagined herself as an actress—let alone a director. “It had never crossed my mind to become an actress or to write scripts,” she said. “But I used to read a lot, and that eventually helped me write my own stories.”

Twenty-five years ago, she wrote and produced her first commercially successful film, Hiwot Endewaza—a groundbreaking project that shed light on the harsh realities Ethiopian women faced while working in the Middle East. The movie exposed the abuse, exploitation, and tragedies many women suffered while trying to support their families. It sparked awareness and helped countless women avoid similar dangers.

“Until this day, people stop me to thank me for making that movie,” Kidist said. “It sent the right message at the right time.”

With Liya, Kidist again wanted to address real cultural issues—just as she did with Hiwot Endewaza. This time, she focused on the pressure placed on women to get married by a certain age, even if they don’t truly know or love the man they’re being pushed toward. In her latest project, she challenges the culture: women should not be forced into marriage just because “time is ticking.” She hopes viewers will understand the importance of choosing love, not pressure.

By bringing Liya to big screens across the U.S., Kidist is helping elevate the Ethiopian movie industry. She believes the sector still lags far behind other African film markets.

“If you look at Nigerian movies, we are way behind in both production and script quality,” she said. “We need more businesses to invest in filmmaking, and we need to teach future generations how to write great scripts.”

Kidist is nowhere near finished. She plans to continue creating series and short films, and with the right support and investors, she has several scripts ready stories she believes could become powerful films one day. Her long-term dream is clear: to secure at least one Netflix deal, no matter how long it takes.

And the Liya tour isn’t ending anytime soon. She will be showing the movie in Dallas this December and plans to take it to several European countries.

When asked what makes a great movie, she smiled and said, “If I still remember the movie the next day, it was great.”