Dallas VideoFest will present The Wild Years. In Addis Abeba, the Ethiopian capital, over 270.000 street kids live without their parents and almost forgotten by law and society. Daniel, a boy from the countryside, is 9 years old when he arrives in the city. He meets Habtom and Yohannes, both aged 12, who live in an abandoned car. They first don’t want to accept him in their group but after they overcome some initial conflicts they eventually become friends.

Together, they share the hard life in the city. They lead adult lives – although they are still children. But they are smart and inventive and manage to survive on petty thefts. A year passes by. When homesickness, feelings of responsibility and the problems with the rivaling gang of street kids increase to an intolerable level they decide to return to their poor home villages to visit their parents whom they left behind many years ago.