Ethiopian Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi? Yes!

I watch a lot of sci-fi. Not surprisingly, most of the movies and TV shows I consume are either American or British productions. So when I hear about movies from other parts of the world, I make sure to add them to my “to watch” list. Recently I’ve viewed The Wandering Earth, a 2019 Chinese film, and Crumbs, an Ethiopian movie released in 2015. The Wandering Earth left me cold, but I enjoyed every minute of Crumbs‘ quirky, low-budget weirdness.

Written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Miguel Llansó, Crumbs takes place sometime after a war that has decimated Earth’s population. In the introduction Llansó tells us, “The news of the sporadic birth of a child, probably conceived out of neglect, was received with condescending smiles the same as in those who mock ignorant people who with pride show off their out of style garments.”

In this world, Candy and Birdy* live together in a bowling alley that is overshadowed by an enormous dead spaceship. They collect and revere pop culture artifacts, even worshiping at an altar with a photo of Michael Jordan.  Early in the film Birdy gives Candy a plastic toy sword, still strapped to its cardboard packaging. “This sword was manufactured by Carrefour,” she tells him, “the last total artist. It will protect you during your trip.”

When one of the bowling machines starts working again on its own, Birdy wonders if they are receiving some sort of message from the spaceship. Candy checks the bowling machine and decides to consult with a witch. The rest of the story involves Candy’s journey and Birdy’s experiences in the bowling alley. The trailer makes it look like horror, but the film isn’t particularly scary.

As far as science fiction goes, Crumbs is definitely bizarre. It has far less in common with action-packed movies like Gravity than it does with 2001. If you’re looking for an adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look elsewhere. This is a quiet, oddly beautiful fairy tale, complete with a Santa Claus who pops up in an unexpected place.

The film is in Amharic with occasional errors in the subtitles (for instance, “desert” becomes “dessert”). But those small glitches don’t detract from this quirky story. If you’re ready for a different sci-fi experience, you can find Crumbs on streaming services such as Amazon and YouTube.

*If you look at the film’s credits, Birdy is referred to as Sayat. Perhaps Birdy is the English equivalent of that name?