Prior to the screening, Azerbaijani ambassador Elman Abdullayev said the iconic movie, which has already been shown in 136 countries in 86 languages, was re-mastered and colorized in 2013 in Los Angeles at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The ambassador hailed the foundation's role in promoting Azerbaijan`s national music and culture both in the country and beyond.

The event participants included heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Addis Ababa, foreign diplomats, representatives of the African Union Commission, state and government officials, chairman of the Ethiopian Association of Cinematographers, cultural figures, and Ethiopian graduates of Azerbaijani universities.

The event was widely covered by the Ethiopian media.

Arshin Mal Alan is based on the operetta of the same name by great Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli. The operetta is regarded as the first operetta in the Muslim world.