Browsing by Author "Abune, Belayneh"

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    Literature as an Adaptable Source: The Case of Etv
    (Addis Ababa University, 1999-05) Abune, Belayneh; Getaneh, Akalu (PhD)
    Nowadays, adaptation or dramatization o f pro se fiction s or poems into the medium of film/ TV is a major screen practice around the world . One of th e advantages of a daptations, apart from recreating fresh experience for those who ha ve read the ori g inal literary works, is a lso to give a chance for those illiterate sections of the society to ex perience the literary works of notabl e writers. Ethi opia seems not to have benefited much from these reciprocal convergence among the arts which is found to be valuabl e for the enrichment of the literary practice in the society. There seems also little awareness among the concerned bodies about la yin g the gro und for such a prac tice to grow. The purpose of the stud y clearly stated in this thesis , therefore, was to examine closely the th eory and practice of screen adaptation and to render a vivid picture of the role it ha s so far pl ayed and may ye t have to play in ETV Amharic drama productions. Keeping in mind the unique nature of each medium, the study specifically looked into (a) how the texts in focus enunciated th eir story w ithin the conventions of th eir ge nres and (b) determines as to the type of adaptation rendered based on the fundam enta l theorie s and approaches to the screenin g. of prose narratives. In order to find the outcome of the television adaptations from prose fi ctions, thestudy first analyzed the two prose natTatives, Agatami and Amist Sidist Sebat based on their from and narrative techniques. During the viewing of the screen adaptation every alterations, deletions, and additions of characters, events, and dialogue were noted. Then, based on the critical analysis of the texts and the detailed observation of the adapted TV drama, a close comparative examination was made. The two directors involved in the process of the production were approached to find their views and opinions as well as their experiences. The result of the study indicate that the two screen adaptations lack, though in varying degrees, clear understanding of their source text as well as proper manipulations of the resources of the screen. The problem partly points to the absence of proper training in the area of literature vis-a-vis screen on the part of the adapters, and partly relates to the disorganized and inefficient working conditions of the ETV, a complaint made by the directors. The study also forwarded some suggestions on the basis of the results of the research. It was proposed that those departments concerned with the teaching of literature and theater arts should design a more appropriate course in literature versus screen adaptation. It was also noted that the recent attempt to open up extra TV channels would also pave the way for more efficient screen adaptations to come.