Town of Runners
Released: 2012
Director: Jerry Rothwell
A SMALL TOWN in the heart of Ethiopia, Bekoji has produced some of the finest distance runners ever to set foot on a track. Home to Kenenisa Bekele and his brother Tariku, Tirunesh Dibaba and Deratu Tulu among others, if any place on earth has earned the right to be called a “town of runners”, it is this one.
Director Jerry Rothwell’s feature-length documentary takes us into the lives of the town’s legendary coach Sentayehu Eshetu and Alemi and Hawii, two teenage girls who dream of emulating their idols and escaping from Bekoji to become someone.
An moving tale of the rewards which hard work and dedication promise, and the dispiriting lows which not even the most committed can avoid.
What the critics said: “A compelling and beautifully shot story about chance and graft” (Kate Spicer, Sunday Times)
YouTube credit: JerryRothwelldocs
