Gender Play

Emnet Tadesse Yadeta

Year of Production: 2003 Category: C-film Duration: 32 min. 52 sec Sound: mono Language: Amharic English Subtitles

Gender Play is an anthropological documentary film that portrays children expressing gender in their day-to-day interaction in school. The film takes us to Lazarist School that is found in the Northern part of Addis Ababa. Games are gendered and girls and boys prefer to play mostly in gender-separated groups.
This film tries by portraying three students to understand the gender relationship among grade three students.
Serawit is a 10-year-old girl. She is very calm in character. The film shows her playing in school like all kids of her age. At home she has to take care of her two younger brothers and her cousin.
Kalkidan is a 9-year-old girl. She is very active. She plays well in her school. In this film she explains about what females and males’ tasks are in the house.
Abel is a 10-year-old boy. He plays with both girls and boys. Students call him “a girl” from higher grades for playing with girls.
Girls and boys use their body and space differently in playing. Children talk about gender; they explain it using their own voice, ideas and what they observe from their surroundings.

Copyright: 2003 Visual Cultural Studies, University of Tromsø
For distribution, please contact:
Gøril Skotnes
Marit Gjertsen