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Ben Between Africa
(2025)Synopsis
While searching for clues to her uncle Ben’s mysterious death, filmmaker Ari discovers boxes of family letters tucked away in a farmhouse attic. With these as her guide, she dives into the quickly fading past to uncover the connecting thread between Ben’s death in 1975, her family’s time as Mennonite missionaries in Ethiopia, and the downfall of Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s last king. The search reveals the enduring impact of family separation, cultural dislocation, and unresolved grief - while also illuminating the fragile but powerful possibility of intergenerational healing.
Community Reviews
“The story Ari Ali tells is heartbreakingly wise and beautiful, and yet it is wrung out of great loss. Ari's determination to trace out the fractures underlying her family's distance and isolation from each other eventually brings her home, but only after she walks through many years of tangled, complicated grief. By honestly naming deep sorrows frozen away in denial, Ari unlocks the power of healing for her family. She also unlocks the power of healing for countless other families who have experienced cultural dislocation, family separation, faith disorientation, and traumatic death. Ari's story is woven from innumerable points of personal connection against the backdrop of immense cultural and historical shifts. Ultimately, it provides a beacon of hope for every one of us who long to experience the healing power that can flow when we uncover hidden truths about our own family inheritance. - Sara Wenger Shenk”
