ItalianoWax & Gold
16 October 21:30
Maxxi
Pub Acc
Admission with ticket
Festa del cinema
Synopsis
Inaugurated by the Emperor Haile Selassie, the Hilton Addis Abeba is the place from which Ruth Beckermann explores Ethiopia’s past and present through archival footage, conversations and personal reflections. The hotel becomes a stage for History, highlighting the contrast between its luxury and the poverty of the city.
COMMENTARY
The film is an unpredictable portrayal of a country with a thousand-year-old culture that is currently changing. Following the brief interlude of Fascist colonialism, Ethiopia today is a prize to be conquered for today’s superpowers, foremost among them China.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
There’s one reason why I chose a hotel as the narrative driver: I wanted to present an image of Africa unlike what you usually see in the media. Navigating between the alien and the familiar was the exciting thing. We all know a hotel like the Hilton in Addis Abeba, but not the people you meet there.
Director
Ruth Beckermann
Ruth Beckermann is an Austrian filmmaker and writer born in Vienna. She co-founded the distribution company Filmladen in 1978 and has worked as a filmmaker since 1985. Her films The Dreamed Ones, The Waldheim Waltz, Mutzenbacher and Favoriten, have received several international awards. Her latest film, Wax & Gold, had its world premiere at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival.