Made in Ethiopia 13 L V

“It’s just like China used to be”, says a Chinese businessman surveying a massive clothing factory in rural Ethiopia. The factory is located in a sprawling industrial park, where a dusty farming town finds itself on the frontier of globalisation. The park’s formidable Chinese director needs every bit of her considerable charm and grit to push through a high-stakes park expansion that will deliver 30,000 new jobs and displace the local community. Meanwhile, Workinesh, a local farmer, and Beti, a factory worker, have staked their futures on the promise of prosperity. But their dreams are bound for a painful collision with reality and they find themselves, like their country, at a pivotal crossroads. Filmed over four years with remarkable access, Made in Ethiopia lifts the curtain on China’s historic but misunderstood impact on Africa and challenges us to think more carefully about the real meaning of economic development.