By Yelibenwork Ayele

"Agazi Operation," a historical film starring Haile Ayalneh, Shemeles Bekele and Zenabu G. Selassie was launched on Thursday at the UN Conference Hall here. Produced by Agazi Art Promotion, the story for the 105-minute-long film was written by Berhanu Abadi and Haile Ayalneh.

The story focuses on a 1986 actual incident in which about 1,300 people, detained in a prison in Mekele and awaiting execution, were set free in a 15-minute operation led by Hayelom Araya, commander of the TPLF fighters.

The producers of this film had been engaged in controversy with another studio which was making a film titled "Operation Agazi". The conflict was resolved when a group of elders intervened and the other studio was persuaded to rename the title of the film "Fifteen Minutes Operation". "Agazi Operation" will hit the cinemas in a few weeks' time.