When I Came to Your Door

Description

The short film When I Came to Your Door, developed as part of the Addis Ababa Living Lab research project, had its international premiere at the 54^th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on the 31^st of January 2025.

The movie follows a woman searching for her partner among the ruins of a neighborhood in Addis Ababa, caught in the waves of forced evictions sweeping through the city’s informal settlements. Inspired by a love letter found on site, When I Came to Your Door captures real images from one of the most recent demolitions that displace low-income communities to make way for large-scale urban projects in a rapidly expanding city. 

Directed by Antonio Paoletti and co-produced with Frederique van Andel and Marja Elsinga, the film features music by Francesco Cameli and stars Meaza Fekadu Shinato, a young Ethiopian woman from the informal settlement depicted in the film.

When I Came to Your Door, which won Best Short Film Award at the Venice Architecture Film Festival, was screened at IFFR across four dates:

• 31 January: 12:30 at LantarenVenster 3
• 31 January: 18:45 at LantarenVenster 6
• 1 February: 13:00 at Pathé 3
• 7 February: 12:30 at Podium Islemunda – Filmzaal