• Documentary

WAX & GOLD

Opened at the cusp of Africa’s defining 1960s by controversial Emperor Haile Selassie, Hilton Addis Ababa stands today as a grand hotel, much like any other. Settling in the hotel in Ethiopia’s sprawling capital, Ruth Beckermann delves into the nation’s thorny past and present, navigating the familiar and foreign, fact and fiction. As her quest for historical truth unfolds, layered with contradictions, she blends archives starring the Emperor with present-day conversations at the hotel and her own reflections as a European woman. Meanwhile, outside, the opulence contrasts with the city’s unvarnished life and grind, with queues of workers stretching for metres at bus stops and skeletons of high-rises awaiting development.

Data

aka
Der Andere - Mit Kapuscinski in Afrika
Category
Documentary
Financing
Majoritäre Koproduktion
Format
DCP, 90 Min
Release
18.09.2026
Distribution
FILMLADEN Filmverleih GmbH
Funding Film Institute
530.000 €
Share of Austrian production costs
85 %
Share of total production costs
68 %
Television investment
80.000 €
Co-production

Citrullo International (IT, 20%)

International funding

MIC – Minority Coproduction Fund

Funding program
ÖFI
Status
before release
Film location
Ethiopia
Shooting time
August 2024 - January 2025
Days of shooting
25
Completion
Winter 2025/2026
Funding institutions Austria
Filminstitut
Credits
Production
Ruth Beckermann
Producer Austria
Ruth Beckermann
Director
Ruth Beckermann
Script-concept
Ruth Beckermann
DOP
Johannes Hammel
Editor
Dieter Pichler
Sound engineer
Andreas Hamza
Sound design
Andreas Hamza
Music
Samuel Yirga/Marino Formenti
Production manager
Rebecca Hirneise
International distribution
Celluloid Dreams
German Title
WAX & GOLD
Television investment
ORF (Film/Fernseh-Abkommen), RAI Cinema

Filmstills:

Ein Löwe liegt entspannt in einem Käfig, während ein uniformierter Wächter davor steht.
WAX&GOLD_© Ruth Beckermann Filmproduktion

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