Kwibuka 26: Films to watch in self-isolation

With the start of the 26th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, it is once again a time to reflect and remember.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has seemingly turned our whole world upside down. It is one of the most frightening times in modern history, one never seen since the second World War.

Now that the world has seemingly come to a screeching halt and we are under quarantine, it offers an opportunity to do things we previously didn't have time for. It is a time to read books and watch films about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi as we enter the month of national commemoration.

Here are some films released over the past two decades to watch while self-isloating:

Raoul Peck’s historical anti-war drama is one of the better attempts by Hollywood to show how horrific the violence was, with a depth of detail and insight unlike that seen in films like Hotel Rwanda. With leading man, Idris Elba as a Rwandan officer who came to see the light a little too late to save his family, Peck creates a powerful and touching depiction.

Kinyarwanda (2011), Arlick Brown

Arlick’s Brown directorial debut narrates the tragic events as a series of intense personal moments that lend a fresh perspective about what took place in Rwanda from April 7, 1994 to July 16, 1994.

He meticulously weaves together several interlocking stories to connect events before, during and after the genocide.

Shooting Dogs (2005), Michael Catton-Jones

This film is based on the experiences of BBC news producer who worked in Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The film was shot in the original Ecole Technique Officielle. Michael Catton Jones narrates a complex story. The location plays a significant role in bringing to life the nightmares and evil that took place there.

My Neighbour, My Killer (2009), Anne Aghion

This feature length documentary directed by Anne Aghion places emphasis on the process of the Gacaca courts, a citizen-based justice system, which the Rwanda Patriotic Front government put in place in 2001.

Filmed over the span of a decade, this documentary film reflects on the life of real characters and explores how survivors and killers can learn to co-exist.

Grey Matter (2011), Kivu Ruhorahoza

Perhaps one of only two films in this list directed by a Rwandan filmmaker, Grey Matter is an interesting cinematic take.

Kivu explores themes of co-dependency and post-traumatic stress disorder. His debut feature offers a sobering presentation of the psychological scars that still haunt many Rwandans after the tragedy.

100 Days (2001), Nick Hughes and Eric Kabera

This was the first feature film made about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The film by Nick Hughes and acclaimed Rwandan filmmaker Eric Kabera dramatises the events that transpired during those fateful 100 days. The film tells the story of a local Hutu official who is persuaded to implement the "government’s policy" of completely wiping out the Tutsi.

A Sunday in Kigali (2006), Robert Favreau

This movie adaptation of the book A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali by Canadian author Gil Courtemanche follows the story of a Canadian documentary filmmaker and journalist who falls in love with a beautiful Rwandan waitress and gets caught up in the middle of the tragic events that lead to the tragedy. The well-meaning film manages to tell a compelling story that tackles triumph over obstacles.

Long Coat (2009), Edouard Bamporiki

In his directorial debut, acclaimed actor Edouard Bamporiki focuses on the difficulty of leaving one’s past behind. This moving film follows the story of a genocide survivor as well as the son of a genocide perpetrator. Bamporiki directs and acts in it. The film is in Kinyarwanda with English subtitles.

Shake Hands with The Devil (2004), Peter Raymont

This documentary film based on the book of the same name by retired Canadian Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire tells the story of the general who served as the force commander of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda.

It narrates the awful history the world chose to ignore. It tells the story of the now-retired Dallaire and documents his return to Rwanda 10 years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. It features interviews with various people who corroborate the story of the tragic events of those 100 days.

Munyurangabo (2007), Lee Isaac Chang

Lee Isaac Chung’s masterpiece was the first feature film in Kinyarwanda with English subtitles. It was filmed entirely in Rwanda with local non-professional actors that the director found in local orphanages.

It follows the story of two friends, one Hutu and the other Tutsi, whose friendship is tested when their family warns that they should not be friends. The complex story is beautifully shot and masterfully told.