Know Your Place

Know Your Place is a real-life drama set in Seattle. Robel Haile (15, Eritrean-American) and his best friend Fahmi Tadesse (15, Ethiopian-American) embark on a trip to drop off a suitcase with medicine and money to a friend traveling back to Eritrea because of a family member’s sudden illness. An unexpected turn transforms Robel’s simple errand into an odyssey across the rapidly gentrifying city; navigating directions to make his delivery on time, along with the challenges of familial responsibility, self-identification, and dislocation amid the ongoing redevelopment, and displacement of the only community he has ever known as home.

The directorial debut of Iranian director Zia Mohajerjasbi is an urban road movie shot in Seattle, his hometown. Surely because of its multicultural richness, its social context, and its love for the city, Know Your Place was the big winner at last year’s edition of the Seattle International Film Festival. An honest and straightforward opera prima about identity, friendship, and the sense of belonging to a community.

Credits

Title: Know Your Place
Year: 2022
Runtime: 118′
Country: USA
Direction: Zia Mohajerjasbi
Screenplay: Zia Mohajerjasbi
Cast: Joseph Smith, Natnael Mebrahtu, Selamawit Gebresus
Cinematography: Nicholas Wiesnet
Genre: Drama
Subtitles: Jara Segura
Contact: Zia Mohajerjasbi

Wins and nominations

2022: Seattle International Film Festival – Best Film
2022: Vancouver International Film Festival