438 Days
438 Dayshttps://nyafilm3.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/MV5BNWU3MWQyMzctMDM0ZS00MzA4LTk2NzgtOGZiODE1ZGVlMTExXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTIzMjUxMg@@._V1_SX300.jpg
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438 Days

On the eve of June 28th, 2011 Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson put everything at stake by illegally crossing the border from Soma...lia into Ethiopia. After months of research, planning and failed attempts, they were finally on their way to report on how the ruthless hunt for oil affected the population of the isolated and conflict-ridden Ogaden region. Five days later they lay wounded in the desert sand, shot and captured by the Ethiopian army. But when their initial reportage died, another story began. A story about lawlessness, propaganda and global politics. After a Kafkaesque trial they were sentenced to eleven years in prison for terrorism. And they were far from alone. Their cellmates were journalists, writers and politicians persecuted for not bowing down to dictatorship. Their reportage about oil was transformed into a story about ink, and their daily lives turned into a fight for survival inside the notorious Kality prison in Addis Ababa. Exposed to deadly diseases, daily beatings and fierce repression - deprived of their shoelaces and their freedom of speech - they fought to preserve the most valuable thing of all: the freedom to determine who you are and what you believe. This is their story of 438 days of hell.
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In the movie 438 Days, Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson embark on a dangerous mission to report on the impact of the oil industry on the Ogaden region in Ethiopia. Taking great risks, they illegally cross the border from Somalia into Ethiopia on June 28th, 2011. However, their attempt does not go as planned, and they find themselves wounded and captured by the Ethiopian army just five days later.

Upon their capture, their initial reportage is silenced, but a new story begins to unfold. The movie explores the themes of lawlessness, propaganda, and global politics as the journalists are subjected to a Kafkaesque trial and ultimately sentenced to eleven years in prison on charges of terrorism. Inside the infamous Kality prison in Addis Ababa, Schibbye and Persson find themselves among other imprisoned journalists, writers, and politicians who refuse to submit to the dictatorship.

Every day becomes a fight for survival as they face deadly diseases, daily beatings, and oppression. They are stripped of their basic freedoms, including their freedom of speech and even their shoelaces. However, amidst the darkness, they strive to hold onto their identity and beliefs, valuing the freedom to determine who they are.

438 Days is a gripping and harrowing tale of endurance, resilience, and the pursuit of freedom. It offers an intimate look into the challenging and often brutal lives of imprisoned journalists, shedding light on the importance of a free press and the lengths individuals are willing to go to protect it.

Also Known As:

438 Days

Release Date:

30 Aug 2019

Writers:

Peter Birro, Johan Persson, Martin Schibbye

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations