By Lars Liebst Pedersen

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An adoptive family disrupted. An Ethiopian birth mother victimized by circumstances. A mysterious mask interweaving the present and the past, Denmark and Ethiopia, reality and mythology.

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A Boy named Bekele is the story about an adopted boy, Oskar, and his attempt to embrace his Danish/ Ethiopian identity and his African roots. Oskar’s world crumbles when his adoptive mother becomes critically ill during the birth of an unexpected – and in Oskar’s view unwanted – biological daughter. At the same time, revelations about his adoption and the hidden truth about a beautiful Ethiopian mask begin to surface.

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Left to himself and his thoughts, the mask becomes an obsession for Oskar as he enters a world of Ethiopian mystique and magic. He suddenly finds himself on a perilous journey filled with harsh trials and sinister conspiracies – all in a desperate search for answers: Who are his Ethiopian family? Who is he himself, this Ethiopian boy who once had the name Bekele?

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In another time and place, tumultuous and tragic events lead up to the point where a mother faces the most impossible of all choices.

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A Boy named Bekele is an intimate drama of self-discovery as well as an adventurous thrill ride. It delves into international adoption and poses the question: What defines a family – genes, law or emotions?

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This project was supported by the Danish Arts Council.