[From April 19th to the 29th, Flixist will bring you live coverage of the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Keep an eye out for news, features, interviews, videos, and reviews of some of the most anticipated films to hit the festival circuit in 2012.]
You can now stream the documentary Town of Runners for free as part of the Tribeca Online Film Festival. Over the course of the actual film festival, several short films and feature films will be made available online to the public for a limited time. Here is a synopsis for Town of Runners:
In Bekoji, Ethiopia, running is a way of life. Over the past two decades this small, rural town has been the unlikely home to numerous Olympic champion long-distance runners, whose athletic success has paved the way for young Ethiopians searching for a better life. Among the current group training under renowned coach Sentayehu Eshetu (whose protégé Derartu Tulu was the first African woman to win Olympic gold) are Alemi and Hawii, two teenage girls looking to set themselves apart from their teammates in Bekoji and move on to compete at the national level.
Capturing the seasonal rhythms of this farming region and the gradual impact of urbanization with a keen artistic eye, TFF award winner Jerry Rothwell (Donor Unknown) follows these two young track hopefuls as they face the challenge of growing up and striving for greatness in a developing nation. The result is a lyrical portrait of Ethiopia seen through the hopes and ambitions of a generation determined to make a brighter future for themselves and their country.
