Made in Ethiopia examines the growing industrialization taking place in present-day Ethiopia and China’s often misunderstood, growing impact in Africa. Filmed over four years with unprecedented access, the story takes viewers to a dusty farming town in Ethiopia as a Chinese industrial park begins to take shape. The film follows three women, perhaps most affected: the Chinese factory director who must muster up strength to fulfill the promise of expansion and 30,000 jobs, a factory worker, and a local farmer, all who look to the success of the development for their future prosperity.

This is a nuanced tale, exploring the lives built on a vanishing countryside and the contrasting industrial megaplex that represents progress and profit. It’s an examination of the relationship between tradition and modernity, what progress means for the well-being of a country and its people, and an intimate look at its effect on individual lives.––Deborah Rudolph

Max Duncan and Xinyan Yu