Director/Fixer
I directed The Strongest Bond for a screening at the UN, New York. The film was introduced by the President of Ethiopia and then was later screened numerous times on ETV ( Ethiopian Television). The film was commissioned by DFID, UK in collaboration with WHO and produced by Saatchis and Mosaic Films, London. Adanech Admassu was the fixer on this film. Prior to my arrival in Ethiopia, Adanech sorted out all government permissions, and researched the film, finding suitable stories, locations and interviewees.
I cannot recommend Adanech highly enough. She is a true professional, who cares about film and will go the extra mile every time. As a director herself, she totally understands the needs of production. She has outstanding interpersonal skills and can find and win over even the most difficult interviewee.
You might be wary of choosing an award-winning director as a fixer. However Adanech is not an egotistical director she is passionate about working in film and is equally happy being involved in production support as she is as a producer or director. Adanech is totally honest and reliable. She is very good at budgeting and sticking to a budget. She is street-wise and can talk to anyone.
Coming from a disadvantaged background, Adanech received a full British film school education over five years from a list of BBC and Yorkshire TV professionals. She is one of very few film professionals in Ethiopia who can fit in and relate with ease to people on the street and in villages. She truly understands their culture. She knows what is dangerous, she knows what is safe. She also have a wicked sense of humour and is a lot of fun.
Deborah Kingsland, Director, Stronger than Fiction Documentary Film Festival, Canberra, Australia
Nebiyou Worku, Marketing Communications Manager, British Council, Addis Ababa
Adanech is the best film director (especially in the documentary genre) I have had the honour of knowing and working with. She is highly professional and efficient, with attention to detail that others miss. She also has immense experience (more than 20 years) both nationally and internationally. Her work is better witnesses than any words that I can put forward and it’s worth mentioning here that some of her documentaries have won international acclaim. Moreover, her warm personality, her positive outlook, hard work and honesty make it a pleasure to work with her. I have no hesitation in recommending her for any partnerships, professional work or other film related endeavours, be they national or international.
Tracy Pallant, Hub Cymru Africa
In May 2017, Adanech Admassu, as part of a Hub Cymru Africa project linking Ethiopia, Kenya and Wales, ran a series of film production workshops with Maasai girls and boys in Narok County, Kenya. Adanech taught all aspects of film production from script to screen and worked with the Maasai community to create a short film to raise awareness of harmful cultural practices. Simanka one of the participants on the course said, “I really enjoyed the filmmaking with Adanech, she was a great teacher and role model I would like to do that as a career. I would be able to make programmes from my experience to stop FGM. I want to be an advocate for other girls to tell them about FGM and let them know their rights through film and songs and drama.”
Bob Maddams, independent producer
Pillar Of The House is a behavior change drama film which Adanech co-wrote with me and directed and which addressed womens' decision making. It was shot on location in the Amhara region and used local people as actors. This was an intense 3 weeks long shoot with interweaving story lines and multiple locations. Adanech was creative in her approach getting convincing performances out of her amateur cast of farmers and their families, and tireless in the way she motivated her crew to get all the coverage she needed. When the finished film was shown to the community an NGO worker said, "It's only when people see a film that shows people like them that they really begin to understand the issues". I have worked with Adanech for over 20 years. Together we have made campaigns of documentaries and TV commercials as well as drama films with social messages. She is an outstanding filmmaker who is as creative as she is professional, and she brings her in-depth knowledge of the culture of Ethiopia and the role of women to every film she makes.
