Eritrea. 1977

Since 1961 the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) has been fighting the illegal annexation of the country by Ethiopia, whose Emperor, Haile Selassi, needed the strategically important coastal region. It was landlocked Ethiopia’s only access to the Red Sea. Initially the Emperor was supported by the United States of America. Later, when he was overthrown by a leftist military coup in 1974 the same policy continued – now, however, with military support from the Soviet Union. After the transfer of power in Ethiopia, other socialist states withdrew their support for the Eritrean cause. The Eritreans were now alone in their battle for independence.

a film by Gordian Troeller and Marie-Claude Deffarge
original title: Allein gegen die Großen
camera: Gordian Troeller
sound: Gérard Chaliand, Uwe Gesing
editor: Ingeburg Forth
colour
43 minutes

This film only exists in the German version.

Download the script