Maji-da Abdi
Maji-da Abdi | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 25, 1970 Dire Dawa, Ethiopia |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, film producer |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | The River That Divides, Waiting for Happiness, Bamako |
Maji-da Abdi (born 25 October 1970) is a film director and producer from Ethiopia.
Biography
Abdi was born in Dire Dawa and resided in Addis Ababa until she was four years old. Following the 1974 revolution, her mother escaped with her and her brother to Nairobi, Kenya, where Abdi completed the majority of her schooling. At the age of 17, she relocated to Canada to pursue business studies at the University of Western Ontario, ultimately earning a degree in French literature. Subsequently, she embarked on a career in journalism and film production.
During the 1990s, while traveling through Nepal, Abdi gained experience by interning on Bernardo Bertolucci's Little Buddha. In 2001, she went back to Ethiopia to direct her debut documentary, The River That Divides, which explores the experiences of Ethiopian women during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War and received a Canadian human rights award.
In 2001, Abdi produced Ermias Woldeamlak's short film The Father and collaborated with Abderrahmane Sissako as both producer and costume designer on Waiting for Happiness (2003) and Bamako (2006). She was a member of the jury for short films and Cinéfondation at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Abdi is actively involved in issues related to water resources and environmental sustainability. She is married to Sissako.
In 2010, she established Images That Matter, Ethiopia’s inaugural festival devoted exclusively to short films, supported by the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Olivier Poivre d'Arvor. The festival also offers workshops aimed at nurturing emerging filmmakers, reflecting the swift development of Ethiopian cinema. Outside of filmmaking, Abdi contributes to Orbs magazine, which emphasizes science, art, and spirituality.