Chula1 — Ledet reconnecting with two patients who have progressed over the last two years

From director Ledet Muleta come “Chula,” a film currently in development that will use storytelling to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness across Africa and the African diaspora. Muleta has set up a Kickstarter campaign to help finance the making of the film, with the goal being to raise $30,000 in the next 42 days. She’s raised about 13% of the total already.

Read about the project immediately below, and then watch Muleta’s pitch video for further backstory. To contribute to the campaign, click here, or within the Kickstarter widget at the bottom of this page.

“Chula” is a drama about a young African woman living with bipolar disorder in the Washington D.C. area, played by Ethiopian-American actress Selamawit Worku. The film touches upon her upbringing and subsequent rise to fame which is tainted by her mental illness and a strict father; One whose inability to distinguish between discipline and emotional abuse leaves scars that follow Chula into adulthood. To cope with the stress of her illness and rising fame, Chula begins to abuse drugs and alcohol. Chula’s relationships, including her relationship with her boyfriend (played by Nigerian actor Obum Ezekwem) suffers, culminating in Chula losing all that she values most; yet in the end, a glimmer of hope is found.

Chula2 — A patient at a mental health facility 60km outside of Addis is chained to a beam. This is often how patients are treated.

The Producer’s Inspiration for “Chula.”

Hello, my name is Ledet and I have served as a Psychiatric Nurse for over a decade in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. After traveling to a number of African countries where I witnessed the burden of mental illness, I could no longer ignore the disparities that exist in both the African diaspora and the continent regarding mental illness. I decided that it was important to create something to address the ways that mental illness is stigmatized in our community and in doing so, empower those affected, provide awareness, and strive towards better solutions. This manifested itself in the film, “Chula.”

Obum Ezekwem

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