Tesfahun Hadis
Tesfahun Haddis Hailu is filmmaker, theatre practitioner, and lecturer in Theatre Studies, He taught film and theatre at Mekelle university and Warka Pictures Film School.
His documentary work spans Ethiopia, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. He has contributed to numerous films in diverse roles—director, editor, camera person, narrator—many of which have received international recognition. Notably, his documentary The Cursed Spears (የተረገሙ ጦሮች), co-directed and produced with Prof. Ivo Strecker and Dr. Alula Pankhurst, won Best Documentary at the 19th Ethiopian International Film Festival in 2024. The film offers a profound exploration of traditional peace-making practices in Southern Ethiopia and has been celebrated for its cultural depth and visual clarity.
Tesfahun has collaborated with institutions such as SOAS University of London (on films exploring political culture in Sheffield), the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (on the Guardians of Productive Landscapes series), the Institute of Anthropology and African Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (on the African Music Archive documentary), and the French Center for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE), a branch of CNRS.
Selected Documentaries
1. The Cursed Spears (የተረገሙ ጦሮች)
- Best Documentary, 19th Ethiopian International Film Festival (2024)
- Roles: Co-Director, Cinematographer, Voiceover Narrator, Editor
- Collaboration: With Prof. Ivo Strecker and Dr. Alula Pankhurst
2. Mugut (Debate): The Wheels of Democracy
- Roles: Co-Director, Camera, Editor
- Co-Director: Mitiku G/Hiwot
3. Abraham & Sarah I: Creators of Productive Landscapes
- Role: Cinematographer, Researcher
- Director: Prof. Ivo Strecker
4. Abraham & Sarah II: Hosting the Gundagundo Pilgrims
- Role: Director, Camera, Editor
5. Dancing Grass: Harvesting Teff in the Tigrayan Highlands
- Role: Cinematographer
- Director: Mitiku G/Hiwot
6. Arho – The Afar Salt Trade of Northeastern Ethiopia
- Role: Cinematographer
- Director: Till Trojer
7. Crossed Stories: The French Center for Ethiopian Studies
- Role: Co-Director
- Co-Director: Margot Dupuis
8. Invisible Pollution
- Role: Co-Writer, Second Camera
9. Full Council
- Role: Second Camera
- Directors: Richard Axelby and Shirley Van der Maarel
10. Facing Change: Family Planning in Afar Communities
Role: Director, Camera