Sami lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is a scholar in his late fifties who has just finished the Amharic translation of a monograph on Greco-Roman mythology. But more pressing is Sami’s need to survive in the megalopolis.

Whether he receives help from friends or goes without food, Sami sails tirelessly on the turbulent waters of Addis. His obsession is to publish his work, so that his fellow citizens may discover the intrigues of the Olympian Gods, the ambitious endeavour of Phaethon, the fateful encounter between Diana and Actaeon.

Who could ever be interested in this titanic project? Will the lone Sami see his venture come to fruition? In this booming African capital, Sami’s Odysseys is the portrait of a modern-day Odysseus chasing his dreams, come hell or high water.

Dir. Robin Dimet - 70min - 2022 - France

“This film offers a great many things to its viewers: a remuneration on the impassioned and at times self-destructive zeal of the artist; a story of the deep relationships forged between creatives; a reminder of the violence of development that is implemented without care for people like Sami; and a reflection on the very human desire to contribute something to one’s society, to live a life that leaves something behind.” - Africa is a Country

"Robin Dimet’s heartfelt documentary follows Sami, who has spent nearly two decades translating classical mythology into Amharic, to the detriment of other parts of his life" - Guardian

”Addis Ababa in a small, cluttered room with mould lining the walls. An artistic soul and a man of grand contradictions, he has spent 19 years translating an anthology of Greek and Roman myths into Amharic to introduce his fellow Ethiopians to the ancient wisdom.” - Cineuropa

"In Ethiopia’s labyrinthine capital, a recluse sits translating Greek and Roman myths on an ancient laptop as cosmic chaos presses in on him." - CPH:DOX, Next Wave Competition