Kabera to produce commemoration documentary

With the commemoration of 20 years since the Genocide against the Tutsi fast approaching, it appears the entertainment industry is getting ahead of the pack with several music and films slated to be produced as part of the commemoration period.Eric Kabera of the Hillywood fame says that he, in cooperation with Shirley Neal, American television producer and owner of Burbank-based Park Hill Entertainment, are going to produce a documentary called Intore that focuses on Rwanda identity after the genocide. The documentary is being supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports with contribution from Royal Dutch Embassy and will be released in July next year.“This is a documentary that’s going to show the beauty that’s been achieved, showing the ray of hope and beacon of peace that Rwanda has evolved into, despite what happened 20 years back,” says Kabera.He adds that the documentary is going to feature renowned Rwanda artistes in music and dance like Jean Paul Samputu and Masamba Intore and a host of others. It will also tell the story of Rwanda success through the voices and eyes of the youth.“Rwanda is known for its unique dance and singing not only in Africa but internationally. People who come into this country appreciate our distinctive cultural expression. This is a great opportunity through which we can preserve our history and link it to our future ideals,” he added.He also says that the film is going to complement other films he has produced before. “People have nicknamed me the genocide movie producer. I have made several movies, films and documentaries touching on the genocide.”One of Kabera’s must watch films, which he co-produced and directed is Iseta: Behind the Roadblock, where during April 1994, on a quiet road in Kigali a group of neighbours in Rwanda were filmed. This was the opening days of the Rwandan Genocide. The photographer makes an epic journey back, 13 years later revisiting the people and events he caught by chance in the film, and work with the community, friends and family to relive the tragic events and they join together to identify the victims and ultimately the killers.Kabera says that the genocide against the Tutsi was a scar in the conscience of Rwanda and the world, and the story must be told and retold to avoid another similar anarchy in the future, adding that the people have collectively said Never Again.He noted that the youth represent the ideals of a vibrant and rosy future and thus using their voices in the documentary is an appreciation of the kind of a country we have managed to build from the rubbles and the model we all want Rwanda to be now and in future. Kabera is the founder and president of the Rwanda Cinema Center, an organisation that aims to promote the country’s film industry. Kabera initially set up the Center as an organisation that would train new filmmakers but, since 2005, the center has been better known for organising the annual Rwanda Film Festival.

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Kabera to produce commemoration documentary