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"MY COUNTRY of origin is called Rwanda,” is the opening line of Franco-Rwandan actress and Miss France 2000 Sonia Rolland, in her documentary film ‘Rwanda, du Chaos au Miracle’ that she directed with Patrick Hernandez, a French director and producer.

The documentary, loosely translated as ‘Rwanda, from Ashes to Miracle’, was first screened in 2015, earning major screenings on different French giant channels including France Ô and TV5 Monde.

More accustomed to shining in front of the camera, the France-based actress infuses all the magic of this project, practicing journalism with precision and a humanity that impresses.

 Sonia Rolland, who was born to a Rwandan mother and a French father, was 14 years old when the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi happened. Her family fled to France.

 In 2014, Sonia Rolland returned to Rwanda 20 years after the genocide to meet the various actors of the economic renewal of the country, pacified and prosperous.

 "We have become accustomed to the horror images of this country, but when I return I find that there is God everywhere all over Rwanda,” she further narrates in the documentary which is a production of Bagan Films and Somad Productions.

 For her, what was happening in Rwanda 20 years then was a ‘miracle’

"A country which is stable, unified, clean, at peace and resolutely turned towards economic development,” she says.

 But how did Rwanda go from genocidal horror to being a good example to the global community? What policy has been pursued to achieve this result?

 From the two big questions, Sonia Rolland interviews different actors and observers of this new Rwanda: ministers, journalists, farmers and foreign experts for the documentary to finally bring a fresh look at how a country like Rwanda has achieved a surprising reconstruction.

 Her documentary, which clocks 54 minutes, is a journey written in first person and punctuated by many testimonies from experts, survivors and perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi as well as politicians among others.

 Rwanda is sadly famous for having been the territory of a famous Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994 but, when she started to work on the documentary twenty years later (2014), she was convinced that the same country has become one of the hopes of the African continent.

Sonia Rolland positively portrays the face of the country dubbed the "Singapore of Africa", a big statement that inspired her to hail the country’s progress in all development indices (economy, health, and education).

 It thus pays tribute to the unwavering courage, the resilience and the will of a united and reconciled people that, after having known the horror, has made amazing progress in rebuilding a prosperous nation over the past two decades.

 In the documentary, Sonia Rolland reflects on how Rwanda’s society has been reshaped by drawing inspiration from post-colonial traditions and by placing education, health and economic development at the center of its policy.

Denial versus testimonies

While several people deny the Genocide against the Tutsi, the documentary gives perpetrators and survivors a microphone to tell the truth about what they saw and lived during the Genocide.

The documentary shows shocking footage of victims slain during the Genocide and amazing images showing the development progress the country has made over the course of 20 years of rebuilding.

It also shows perpetrators admitting to participating in the Genocide while survivors testify about the horrific moments that they endured before RPF- Inkotanyi rescued them.

"I was part of the group of perpetrators who killed that old woman,” narrates one genocide perpetrator, Felix Iradukunda.

The documentary also features testimonies from prominent figures like celebrated journalist Albert Rudatsimburwa and politicians like Sayinzoga Jean, Tito Rutaremera, OIF Chairperson Louise Mushikiwabo, former Health Minister Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, and Gen. Paul Rwarakabije, among others.

 At the end of the documentary, a ‘new Rwanda’  based on the efforts made so far by the government and its people to put the country where it belongs, is shown