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438 Days

Name: 438 Days
Director: Jesper Ganslandt
Released: 2019
Duration: 124 min

Representation Score

4.8/10

Fair

2019

Director

Jesper Ganslandt

Runtime

124 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

438 Days is a gritty, realist drama that prioritizes the visceral experience of political instability. It succeeds as a sophisticated critique of global power structures, specifically the friction between individual ability to act and systemic corruption. By focusing on the Ogaden region and the Ethiopian prison system, the film disrupts traditional hero clichés and highlights the exploitation driven by resource extraction. However, the film remains limited by a heavily male-dominated cast. While this reflects historical accuracy, the lack of women's ability to drive the story and the absence of LGBTQ+ narratives result in a narrow demographic scope.

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Category Breakdown

Does 438 Days have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. The story focuses solely on the geopolitical and psychological survival of the protagonists within a restrictive sociopolitical environment.

How does 438 Days portray gender?

Limited

The narrative centers on male protagonists, reflecting the historical reality of the journalists. While it avoids promoting gender hierarchies, it lacks significant women's ability to drive the story in the primary conflict.

How racially and ethnically diverse is 438 Days?

Good

The film provides meaningful representation by centering the intersection of Western individuals and East African landscapes. It portrays local populations and systemic forces as active participants rather than mere backdrops.

How does 438 Days represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film effectively critiques state-run institutions and global power dynamics. It frames the struggle for truth against resource extraction, deconstructing institutional legitimacy through the depiction of a corrupt judicial process.

Does 438 Days include disability representation?

Fair

The film explores the psychological impact of isolation and physical trauma. These elements are treated as consequences of captivity rather than central identities or tools for inspiration.

Present on Screen

Effectively critiques global power dynamics and state-run institutions.
Provides meaningful representation of East African socio-political landscapes.
Disrupts Western-centric clichés by centering non-Western systemic forces.

Limited or Absent

Lack of women's ability to drive the story and significant female characters.
Absence of LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight-centered narratives.
Heavy reliance on a male-centric cast and perspective.

Official Synopsis

On the eve of June 28th, 2011 Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson put everything at stake by illegally crossing the border from Somalia into Ethiopia. After months of research, planning and failed attempts, they were finally on their way to report on how the ruthless hunt for oil effected the population of the isolated and conflict-ridden Ogaden region. Five days later they lay wounded in the desert sand, shot and captured by the Ethiopian army. But when their initial reportage died, another story began. A story about lawlessness, propaganda and global politics. After a Kafkaesque trial they were sentenced to eleven years in prison for terrorism. And they were far from alone. Their cellmates were journalists, writers and politicians persecuted for not bowing down to dictatorship. Their reportage about oil was transformed into a story about ink, and their daily lives turned into a fight for survival inside the notorious Kality prison in Addis Ababa.

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