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Town of Runners

Play trailer Poster for Town of Runners 2012 1h 20m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Three children from the Ethiopian town of Bekoji move from school track to national competitions.

Critics Reviews

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Guy Dixon Globe and Mail The documentary, a must-see for any runner looking for inspiration, only skirts the reasons why the town of Bekoji seems to provide such an advantage to its young athletes. Rated: 3/4 Jun 29, 2012 Full Review Bruce DeMara Toronto Star This isn't a new story, young people having to rely on their athletic prowess to escape lives of poverty while navigating the adversities that life throws in their path. What Rothwell demonstrates is how universal that struggle is. Rated: 2.5/4 Jun 28, 2012 Full Review Cath Clarke Time Out This amazing story might be familiar - it's one of those tales sporadically recycled by the Sunday glossies. Rated: 3/5 Apr 24, 2012 Full Review Daniel Green CineVue A worthwhile watch for those interested in athletics, Africa or simply the sheer unwavering endurance of human ambition. Rated: 3/5 Jan 8, 2019 Full Review Neely Swanson Easy Reader (California) Unfocused, [Director Jerry] Rothwell touches on many subjects - education, sports, local politics, shoddy management, poverty, hopelessness - without ever digging very deeply into any of them. Sep 18, 2017 Full Review Siobhan Synnot Scotsman "Running is a way of life here," says one of the coaches, and that's about as satisfying an insight as this documentary provides. Rated: 4/5 Jul 15, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Who knew the world capital of running was the small rural village of Bekoji, Ethiopia? In Town of Runners, documentarian Jerry Rothwell takes us to this place, where the roads are made of mud, where phones have yet to be introduced, and where children know their only chance at a future outside Bekoji is through running. It's not an exaggeration, either. The education system is in shambles, and most families farm just enough to keep food on the table. Rothwell follows two Bekoji teens, Hawii and Alemi, over four years while they try to make their running dreams come true. Hawii, it seems initially, is the more promising athlete, but when both young girls are selected to leave their village and join different regional running clubs, their fortunes turn on a dime. Alemi thrives at her running club, where she's treated well and given the chance to try longer distances for the first time. Hawii, on the other hand, goes to a place without accommodations and where her raw talent is never given the proper chance to develop. She's injured, miserable, and has absolutely no one to turn to. By focusing on these two young women, Rothwell is able to make a relatively hopeful documentary, though it's an unsatisfying one because so many questions go unanswered. We can fill in the blanks as to why these running clubs are so down-and-out, but Rothwell is in a powerful position. Early in the film, the presence of he and his crew means an incorrect decision at one of Hawii's races is reversed. Only once do we see an interview with a man or woman at one of these clubs. It's a bit frustrating because as a viewer, you develop a genuine connection to these two girls, so you want Rothwell to hold someone's feet to the fire. It doesn't really happen. The film's other big mistake is framing Hawii's and Alemi's stories around the observations of a young man in Bekoji. He operates a stall that sells random household goods and knickknacks, and he occasionally offers a thought about life in Bekoji from the perspective of someone outside the world of running. Unfortunately, he doesn't offer anything that contributes to the film's major themes or messages, but he's prominent enough in the film that his inclusion is becomes distracting, almost frustrating. There are some pleasant, and so not-so-pleasant, glimpses into a culture foreign to us in more ways than one, but Town of Runners doesn't offer much else, even to a runner like myself. The subject is interesting, but the angle by which it's presented gives the film an incomplete and falsely optimistic feeling. http://www.johnlikesmovies.com/town-of-runners/ Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member An intensive, in depth look at running as a vehicle for aspirations and social mobility in one town in Ethiopia. The friendship between the two girls who are the main characters and the non-profit work that the film has inspired are highlights of this three year project. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member A corrida está para a Etiópia assim como o futebol está para o Brasil. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Town of Runners

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Movie Info

Synopsis Three children from the Ethiopian town of Bekoji move from school track to national competitions.
Director
Jerry Rothwell
Producer
Stewart Le Maréchal, Al Morrow, Dan Demissie
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Amharic
Runtime
1h 20m