Menelik - Le Prince noir

The story of Gadi Abaja, a young Ethiopian, living on the margins of Israeli society in the Central Bus Station of Tel Aviv. He survives by theft and petty larceny. His dream is to turn the public address system of the Central Bus Station into an Amharic radio station, as a symbol of culture and minority protest. Gadi misses his mother very much, writes her letters and awaits her reply, though it never arrives. The film follows his journey in search of his past to the emotion-filled reunion with his mother. Another connective narrative level in this film is the story of the legend of Menelik, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. As the son of a Jewish father (Ethiopian Soldier) and Christian mother (Janet), Gadi is, like some other Ethiopians, a descendent of Menelik, the black Jewish prince. This film may be an attempt to confront issues of contemporary Ethiopian identity in modern Israel. Or it may be just a film about a petty, lazy, 21 year old thief who is homeless and returns to Ethiopia in search for the mother he left behind. The crises Ethiopian Jewry has endured since its arrival in Israel, doubts raised concerning its Jewishness, the forced conversions. The isolation and separation of family members over long periods, misunderstanding concerning its culture and character, absorption and surrender to decisions imposed by the establishment-have all pushed some of the Ethiopian immigrants into the margins of Israeli society. The story of Menelik/Gadi, is an attempt to clarify the identity of a young individual whose personal story and journey to Ethiopia take on a social significance