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MUBI Takes UK, Lat Am, Italy, France, Germany, More, On Sundance Title ‘Faya Dayi’

EXCLUSIVE: Arthouse streamer and theatrical distributor MUBI has acquired all rights to Sundance documentary Faya Dayi in the UK and Ireland, Latin America, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey and India.

Jessica Beshir’s feature directorial debut goes on a journey into the highlands of Harar, Ethiopia, to observe the rituals of khat, a powerful plant that Sufi Muslims chewed for religious meditations – and which is Ethiopia’s most lucrative cash crop today. Through the prism of the khat trade, the film charts the stories of people caught between violent government repression, khat-induced fantasies and dangerous journeys beyond borders.

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Faya Dayi will also screen at Visions du Réel, Hot Docs Film Festival, and the Seattle International Film Festival this month. Brooklyn-based Mexican-Ethiopian filmmaker Beshir also produces the feature.