Why Filmmaker Teboho Edkins Made a Reluctant Documentary

A powerful new short film premiering at a major festival confronts a tragic aviation disaster. “an open field” world premieres at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) on Sunday. It tells a deeply personal story of loss and community.The film follows director Teboho Edkins and his producer father, Don. They travel to the site where Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed in March 2019. All 157 people on the Boeing 737 MAX died, including the director’s younger brother.

A Personal Journey to a Site of Shared Mourning

The film documents their journey to Ethiopia. They sought tangible connection in their overwhelming grief. What they found was a local community also profoundly changed.The villagers had become custodians of the crash site. They welcomed the grieving family with remarkable compassion. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the community views the victims as visiting guests they have taken into their hearts.This human response forms the film’s emotional core. It starkly contrasts with the actions of airplane manufacturer Boeing. Official investigations cited a flawed flight-control system and inadequate pilot training.

Contrasting Humanity with Corporate Failure

The documentary highlights this jarring disparity. One side shows pure, shared humanity in mourning. The other involves corporate decisions linked to the tragedy.Don Edkins, the producer, is a veteran documentary filmmaker from South Africa. He wanted to spotlight the injustice. His approach blends activism with processing personal grief.The film was shot in both color and black-and-white. It features dialogue in English and Amharic. Exclusive filming permission was granted by Ethiopian Airlines to the family in 2022.The result is a moving meditation on loss. It questions how society holds powerful corporations accountable. The film ultimately finds light in the darkness of shared human experience.

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The documentary “an open field” provides a searing look at personal and collective grief following the Boeing 737 MAX crash. Its premiere marks a significant moment for films tackling corporate accountability and human resilience.

A quick knowledge drop for you

What is the documentary “an open field” about?

It is a personal film about a director and his father visiting the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash site. The flight was a Boeing 737 MAX that crashed in 2019, killing all aboard, including the director’s brother. The film explores their grief and the compassionate local community guarding the site.

When and where is the film premiering?

“an open field” will have its world premiere on Sunday. It is screening at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). It is part of the festival’s Competition for Short Documentary program.

What caused the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash?

Investigations point to a flawed flight-control system on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Reports indicate pilots were not fully informed about this system. These factors, alongside broader safety concerns, were central to the official inquiries.

How did the local community react to the crash?

The villagers near the site became unofficial guardians of the location. They welcomed the victims’ families with deep empathy. Their culture of mourning provided profound solace to the grieving Edkins family.

Why did the filmmakers get exclusive access to the site?

Media was generally barred from the crash location. The Edkins family received special permission as relatives of a victim. This access came after years of building relationships with Ethiopian Airlines.

What is the film’s tone and style?

The film is described as a moving meditation on loss and accountability. It uses both color and black-and-white footage. Dialogue is in both English and Amharic, reflecting the story’s two worlds