Faya Dayi

Faya Dayi is a 2021 American-Ethiopian documentary film, directed, written, starring and produced by Jessica Beshir. It explores the rituals of khat, a psychoactive plant that plays an important role in Ethiopia's economy and culture.

Faya Dayi
Directed by	Jessica Beshir
Written by	Jessica Beshir
Produced by	Jessica Beshir
Cinematography	Jessica Beshir
Edited by	Jeanne Applegate Dustin Waldman
Production companies	XTR JustFilms/Ford Foundation Merkhana Films Neon Heart Productions Files Collective The Open Society Foundation The Jerome Foundation Doha Film Institute
Distributed by	Janus Films (United States) Mubi (international)
Release dates	January 30, 2021 (2021-01-30) (Sundance) September 3, 2021 (2021-09-03) (United States)
Running time	118 minutes
Countries	United States Ethiopia Qatar
Languages	Oromifa Harari Amharic

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021. It was released on September 3, 2021, by Janus Films.

Synopsis

The film explores the religious rituals of khat chewing in Harar.^[1]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival documentary competition on January 30, 2021.^[2]

In April 2021, Janus Films and Mubi acquired U.S. and international distribution rights to the film, respectively.^[3][4] It was released in the USA on September 3, 2021.^[5]

Reception

Faya Dayi received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 91% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.10/10.^[6]