Faya Dayi: Elusive Temporalities
Docalogue
August 2022
“Faya Dayi is a film of yearning, often missing or asynchronously revealing the objects of that yearning. Set in Harar, Ethiopia, the film’s overarching protagonist is the khat plant, a stimulant leaf, shown at various stages of harvest and through its aftereffects on those who chew it. Director Jessica Beshir forgoes creating a linear narrative out of what she has observed. Instead, she presents stories of multiple characters, zooming in and out of situations and contexts with a meandering yet compassionate and keen gaze that is obviously based in a long-term engagement with her subjects.”
