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George Washington University

Publication Date

Fall 2013

Program Name

Rwanda: Post-Genocide Restoration and Peacebuilding

Abstract

The Rwandan filmmaking industry is in its infancy, only emerging after the 1994 genocide. Since then, a small group of pioneer filmmakers have simultaneously built a community structure with the capacity to train young filmmakers, showcased Rwandan talent and attempted to integrate cinema into Rwandan culture. This cinema-related development is also taking place in a post-genocide context, where national unity and reconciliation is on the forefront of national policy and individual consciousness. Film in Rwanda has played a role in moving the country past the genocide that decimated the population and destroyed the existing infrastructure and severed the social ties between all Rwandans. This essay identifies the emerging structure for the Rwandan filmmaking industry, while also measuring how influential cinema has been and can continue to be in the reconciliation process. Finally, it will outline recommendations for filmmakers who aim to contribute to the country’s reconciliation and unity process.

Disciplines

Film and Media Studies | Peace and Conflict Studies | Politics and Social Change | Race and Ethnicity

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