The River

Asked us to make something really really good for her short film.

A Film Is Only As Good As Its Post Team

Ten years from now, The River will be recognized as an art house landmark—a short film etched into the foundation of Ethiopian cinema. But before it reached that point, it was on the verge of collapse. The original sequencing strangled the film's rhythm, refusing to let it breathe. And The River can't run when it's constrained. It needs to flow.

‍

What we did wasn't miraculous. We listened. We listened to what the film needed by listening to what the director intended. We took scenes that felt like fragments of memory and dream and stitched them into something coherent, something the outside world could not only watch but feel. The edit didn't rescue the film. It let the film become what it always was.

‍

Here's what the director, Herrana, asked for:

''

Ababa Studios was such a pleasure to work with. Their team was fully equipped to deliver exceptional post-production support that truly elevated The River to the next level. They not only handled the film with skill and care but also brought out moments in the film that went beyond our original plans and enhancing the story in ways that felt powerful and intentional.