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Photo: ‘Running Against The Wind' In ‘Running Against The Wind’, childhood best friends Solomon (Mikias Wolde) and Abdi (Ashenafi Nigusu) reunite after years apart. Though it's marketed as a sports drama, the film tries to venture into other genres like action and romance. Wolde and Nigusu are both new actors, their first credits on IMDb are their roles in this movie. This newness brings a level of genuineness to the film that some seasoned actors lose. The film has earnest performances and many moments where the actors shine. In fact, one of the best scenes in the movie is when Solomon and Abdi embrace for the first time in years, they're both awkward after being away from one another for so long, but the scene feels raw, it feels real. Related article: ‘In the Heights’ – Behind the Scenes and Full Commentary/Reactions from Cast & Crew Related article: A Tribute...

There can't be many more challenging places to become a runner than Ethiopia, which has consistently produced some of the best in the world, but in this engaging film by newcomer Jan Philipp Weyl it's a route out of poverty for young Abdi (Ferhane Beker; later Ashenafi Nigusu). His natural talent and hard work could take him all the way to the top, but he never forgets his childhood friendship with Solomon (Alamudin Abduselam; later Mikias Wolde), who set off for the city as a kid, hoping to make his name as a photographer. When their paths cross again, it changes both their lives.

Opening with two charming young leads who quickly get the audience engaged, the film unfolds into a multi-layered drama which explores many aspects of life in modern Addis Ababa and its environs. Cities everywhere have a habit of eating up young people who go there to seek.

Watching this Ethiopian drama is rather like sitting through an assembly when you’re 15 years old. Your buttocks going numb on the hard gymnasium floor as the speaker holds forth about ‘potential’ and the various ‘crossroads’ that we, the year group, are going to encounter. That is because Running Against the Wind is an earnest little morality tale about two young boys and their transition to adulthood – hopes and dreams and all that stuff.

The two boys are Solomon (Mikias Wolde), a recalcitrant troublemaker, and Abdi (Ashenafi Nigusu), a shy and sensible type. Together they live in rural Ethiopia, a harsh place with very little to go around. The boys go separate ways when Solomon steals a camera and flees to Addis Ababa, where he dreams of becoming a photographer. The narrative then shifts through their adolescence and into early adulthood, where we find that Abdi has become a famous...

Story of two young men from rural Ethiopia dreaming of new lives is engaging at times – and boasts a cameo by Haile Gebrselassie

Opening with the impressionistic image of a young man sprinting across the desert, his figure blurred by the sandy blast of a dust devil, Jan Philipp Weyl’s film ruminates on life’s unexpected whirlwinds that can either uplift one’s hopes or blow them to pieces.

Abdi (Ashenafi Nigusu) and Solomon (Mikias Wolde) are childhood friends who grow up in rural Ethiopia. Their paths diverge dramatically when Solomon runs away to the big city with dreams of becoming a photographer, only to end up on the streets, scraping for food and mixing with bad company. Ten years later, Abdi, who idolises the Olympic runner Haile Gebrselassie, also moves to the capital, where he continues training and even wins a national championship. After an emotional reunion, Abdi...

"I want to be a runner! But do I have to ignore my friend in need for the sake of my dream?" A very good question to be ask. Samuel Goldwyn Films has released an official trailer for an indie drama titled Running Against the Wind, made by filmmaker Jan Philipp Weyl. This first premiered at the Amplify Film Festival last year, and is getting a release in the US this year. Set in Ethiopia, two men are running to achieve their dreams. The film follows the stories of two friends: Solomon, who moves to the capital Addis Ababa to become a photographer. And his friend Abdi, who becomes a talented runner and also makes his way to Addis Ababa, where he begins searching for his old friend to find out what happened to him. The film stars Mikias Wolde as Solomon, and Ashenafi Nigusu as Abdi, along with Joseph Reta Belay,...

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Jan Philipp Weyl’s debut feature, Running Against the Wind, and is releasing the film on Digital and VOD July 9.

The Ethiopian thriller, starring newcomers Mikias Wolde, Ashenafi Nigusu, and Joseph Reta Belay, centers on two 12-year-old boys who grow up together in a remote village—until a single photograph leads them in different directions, changing their lives forever.

While Solomon (Wolde) heads to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to become a photographer, Abdi (Nigusu) remains at home, training to fulfill his dream of being a successful runner Haile Gebrselassie. 10 years later, Abdi is nominated for the Ethiopian National Running Team and moves to Addis Ababa, where he reconnects with his old friend, and the pair are left to compare their quite different stories of success.

The acquisition announcement was made today by Samuel Goldwyn Films’ President, Peter Goldwyn. “Running Against The Wind...