The History of Rwandan Cinema 2 - The last chapter 📽️🇷🇼
When the genocide against the Tutsis was stopped in July 1994, journalists from the international media rushed to make a real film about it. An example is the documentary film "A Culture of Murder" made by journalist Steve Bradshaw of BBC Panorama Production and the 1995 documentary film "The Bloody Tricolor," which shows the role of France before the genocide.
One of the popular movies at that time was that of Luc de Heusch (who called himself Luc Zangrie) called "Une République devenue Folle Rwanda: 1894-1994." He made this film in 1996 after he was deeply saddened by what happened in Rwanda, as he knew its history because he was there in the 1950s, and he said in his testimony that he returned there in 1963.
When Luc returned to Belgium, he denounced the massacre in front of the Ligue Belge des Droits de l'Homme, citing the involvement of Belgian soldiers in the massacre (those soldiers were part of the plan to help start the Rwandan army). He only corrected the picture, which made him make the film 30 years later to give his testimony using real incriminating film.
Between 1994 and 1999, the films made in Rwanda were related to the Genocide against the Tutsi, and all of them were "real films" (documentary films), which were done by journalists, especially at the BBC. Additionally, BBC Panorama Production sponsored the following feature films (before 2000): "Journey Into Darkness" (1994) and "Valentina's Story" (1997), both directed by Fergal Keane.
Movies like "When Good Men Do Nothing" (1997) and "Triomph of Evil" (1998), both by Steve Bradshaw, appear to have been the catalysts for the production of the Tutsi Genocide film. In that same year, 1997, Rwanda Television relaunched and for the first time aired a "TV drama" called "Ryumeho Only," written by Mukeshbatware Dismas and starring He is also a veteran actor in the Indamutsa Church, known for his plays on Radio Rwanda since 1984. This film, as a play, was directed by the members of the Rwandan Indamutsa group.
In terms of documentary films, a Rwandan who became famous during those years when Rwanda Television started working again was Mugyema Landouard, who was in charge of the broadcasting department of Rwanda Television and who made various documentary films about the liberation war.
Although his films did not reach the international level, he had a prominent role at that time and even became known in the actual film produced by IBUKA in 2001, which he called "Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide."
In the year 2000, Cameroonian François Woukouache, who was teaching cinema at the Department of Journalism at the University of Rwanda, made a long film (126 min), "Nous ne sommes plus morts," based on the testimony of genocide survivors, Tutsis. It was during the 2000s that Rwandan and Rwandan films based on the theme of the Genocide against the Tutsi began to appear in large numbers, including those produced by Hollywood.
Foreign journalists played a significant role in making movies in Rwanda from 1994 to 1999, and all of them were real movies. The British journalist Nick Hughes, who was known for his career in filming for the BBC, CNN, and NBC television, met with Rwandan Eric Kabera, who had recently founded a company called Link Media Productions, and they agreed to make a documentary film about the genocide.
The film called 100 Days was produced by Nick Hughes (who is also credited as its director) and Rwandan Eric Kabera, who played a significant role in making it (as a co-producer), and many Rwandans played in it.
It is considered the first documentary film about the Genocide against the Tutsi that was played in English. The movie 100 Days was released in 2001, when Eric Kabera founded the Rwanda Cinema Center.
Movies in Rwanda that were directed by foreigners at that time can be mentioned, such as "Umurage (2002) by Gorka Gamarra, "Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire" (2004) by Peter Raymont, "Ghosts of Rwanda" (2005) produced by PBS, and others. At the same time, foreigners made several films in Rwanda, especially between 2004 and 2007, when at least one film was released every year.
A total of six feature films were produced in those three years, and all of them are popular in the international market, and almost all of them are selected for international film festivals.
Those films are Hotel Rwanda (2004) by George Terry, Shooting Dogs (2005) by Michael Caton-Jones, Sometimes in April (2005) by Raoul Peck, Un Dimanche à Kigali by Robert Favreau, Shake Hands with the Devil (2007) by Roger Spottiswoode, Munyurangabo by Lee Isaac Chung, and Opération Turquoise (2007) by Alain Tasma, among others.
I'm with Paul
Willy Ndahiro (Paul) and Daniel Gaga (Ngenzi) are the first Rwandan actors to star in the first Rwandan-produced film to be sold in the Rwandan film market. Rwandan cinema has been defined by four key factors:
1. The trend of films in Rwanda (directed by foreigners).
2. The emergence of new Rwandan talent at the international level (many of them are young people; their names and what they have done will be mentioned in the book).
3. The beginning of the Rwandan film industry and the introduction of Rwandan films to the Rwandan film market.
4. Launching a programme of cinema courses (short-term or long-term) in training centers or schools (government or private).
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