Aside from being a defining figure in both Ethiopian and African history, Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I is known in connection to the Rastafari spiritual movement, which recognises him as Jesus incarnate, the Second Advent, or the reincarnation of Jesus.

In 1936, Emperor Haile Selassie I was exiled from Ethiopia, following Italian invasion headed by Italian fascist Dictator, Benito Mussolini. He spent the five years of his exile in Bath in the South West of England, where he stayed in Fairfield House, a fourteen bedroom Georgian property in Newbridge. Following his return to Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie donated the property to the people of the city and asked that it be used to benefit elderly residents.

Footsteps of the Emperor is a feature-length documentary which examines the extraordinary time Haile Selassie I spent living in Bath in Fairfield House. Presented by poet Benjamin Zephaniah, the film features interviews with the Bath residents who met and worked for him.

Though originally broadcast in 1999, the film was screened at Watershed in October 2012, following news that B&NES Council had plans to put Fairfield House up for sale. A number of groups who used the property, including the Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens' Association (BEMSCA), Age Concern, the Ethiopian Coptic Church and a Rastafari church, were approached by the council to discuss the formation of a charitable trust to help cover the costs of maintaining the property. The film was screened as part of efforts to raise awareness and funds in order to preserve the use of the house for the community.

In this Q&A, director Shawn Sobers and a panel discuss the film, the effect the Emperor’s presence had on the people and the city of Bath, and the cultural and historical significance of Fairfield House for a diverse community including the people of Bath.

Posted on Sat 10 Nov 2012.

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