Premieres Monday, July 14, 2025 at 11:30 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app
When a massive Chinese industrial park lands in rural Ethiopia, a dusty farming town finds itself at the new frontier of globalization. The park’s driven Chinese director, Motto, is determined to launch a second phase that could generate 30,000 manufacturing jobs for young Ethiopians.
The stakes are high: Ethiopia is banking on the Chinese growth model to alleviate widespread poverty, while China sees the country as a key hub in its Belt and Road Initiative—the largest global investment plan in history.
But not everyone is convinced. Local villagers, like farmer Workinesh, are waiting for full government compensation and must weigh the promise of economic prosperity against the cost to their land and way of life. Meanwhile, workers like Beti struggle to escape the poverty cycle.
Filmed over four years with remarkable access, "Made in Ethiopia" captures two worlds on a collision course—an industrial machine powered by progress, and a vanishing countryside rooted in tradition.
Through the lives of three women, the film probes the tension between tradition and modernity, economic growth and social welfare, and asks what development really means for a nation and its people. Featured in the film are participants Betelihem "Beti" Ashenafi, Motto Ma (Ma Futao) and Workinesh Chala.
Filmmaker Quotes:
“China’s growing impact on Africa and the wider Global South is one of the most important issues of our time, but one that is too little understood,” said co-director Max Duncan. “With 'Made in Ethiopia,' we wanted the microcosm of one industrial park to show audiences not just how Chinese investment works, but also what it means for individuals, communities, and their environment.”
“We came into filmmaking as journalists, driven by a sense of urgency,” said Xinyan Yu, co-director. “While the film is about China and Ethiopia, it's also a story of three women navigating the tides of industrialization. We shot nearly 500 hours of footage over the course of four years. As the process unfolded, our storytelling grew more grounded and collaborative. We learned a lot off-camera and deepened our connection with our protagonists, whose stories resonate with many public media audiences around the world.”
“'Made in Ethiopia' showcases the resilience of Ethiopian women who are navigating the ongoing changes of global industrialization in their communities,” said Chris White, Executive Producer, POV. “Through this film, we aim to immerse viewers in the experiences of women enduring everyday challenges that come with working for a foreign-driven economy.”
Watch On Your Schedule: "Made In Ethiopia" will make its national broadcast premiere on Monday, July 14, 2025. It will be available to stream until Sept. 12, 2025 at pbs.org, and the PBS app
Credits: A Hard Truth Films, Dogwoof and Gobez Media production. The directors are Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan. The producers are Xinyan Yu, Max Duncan and Tamara Dawit. The cinematographer is Max Duncan, and the editors are Biel Andrés, Jeppe Bødskov and Siyi Chen. Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan are the screenwriters. Music is by Ali Helnwein. The co-producers are TDog (Dogwoof) and Gobez Media, and the field producers are Sura Abera Amayu, and Goush Fissehatsion Girmay. The executive producers are Anna Godas, Oli Harbottle, Susan Jakes, Mehret Mandefro, Roger Graef, Erika Dilday, and Chris White for American Documentary.
