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In 1957 caught up in the mid-century evangelical movement the Gamber family moved from rural Virginia to Ethiopia to try their luck at being missionaries under the rule of King Haile Selassie. 

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Emperor Selassie, determined to modernize his country through western education believed missionaries, once given the right restraints, would be a great match to his efforts. Soon after arriving the Gamber family were separated, Henry and Pearl Gamber were sent to Bedeno, a rural village close to the contentious border with Somalia, and the kids were sent to the city of Addis Ababa to attend boarding school.

 

The early days of excitement and optimism slowly gave way as the political climate in the country took a violent turn and the harsh realities of the missionary lifestyle began to affect the family.

 

Through the experiences of one family, Ben Between Africa is the first feature length documentary exploring the role of American Missionaries in the fall of the Ethiopian Monarchy and the unforeseen individual sacrifices that would be made.            

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