Rwandan movies hit West African market—what does it mean?

Rwanda’s film industry is breaking new ground, expanding into West Africa with an aim of expanding regional reach, distribution and screen tourism as well as promotion through digital innovation. So far, only one Rwandan drama TV series ‘The Bishop’s Family’ produced by Zacu Entertainment Ltd has been airing on A+, in Ivory Coast, since 2024. A+ is a pan-African French-speaking family entertainment television channel created by Canal+, according to Wilson Misago, the CEO of Zacu Entertainment. ALSO READ: The Bishop’s Family tv series airs on A+ Afrique Misago told The New Times that numerous films are being electronically dubbed (e-dubbed) into five major languages spoken in West African especially French, Swahili and Portuguese. He believes that this will make these movies more accessible to millions of new viewers across the region. ALSO READ: Five stars taking Rwandan film industry by storm Misago explained that Rwanda’s content has improved to an international standard over the past few years. However, cinema enthusiasts sometimes mistake Rwandan productions with those from more established film industries such as South Africa or Kenya. To address this, he said, there is a strong need for more targeted promotion that includes the use of local national symbols to clearly identify and differentiate Rwandan content. “For instance, The Bishop’s Family has been dubbed into French and was titled Une Sacrée Famille, but people confused it with a South African production. They didn’t realize it was from Rwanda. We need this to change and secure a continental seat. Our contents are no longer just simple plays or theatre performances, they have evolved into high-quality productions,” he explained. The TV series first premiered on the launch of Zacu TV on October 1, 2022, and began airing on October 3, when the TV officially started its programme. It stars renowned Rwandan actors Alain Samson Mwiyeretsi, Bloda Rutayisire, Aime Valens Tuyisenge, Divine Gatesi Kayonga, Clenie Dusenge and Abouba Iradukunda among others. The series is about Dan, a family man and a successful yet humble bishop whose marriage with the controversial Jane is constantly under scrutiny. When unsuspected foes threaten their family and their life accomplishments, Dan and Jane must fight to prevent them from destroying everything they worked so hard for. ALSO READ: From Hollywood to Kigali: How one filmmaker is transforming Rwanda's cinema scene Change is needed! Misago is optimistic about the growth of local film production. However, he noted that Rwandans are yet to fully embrace the culture of attending movie screening venues. This, he says, is important for supporting Rwandan filmmakers and challenging them to improve the distribution of both existing and upcoming movie contents. “We’re working on producing more visuals that highlight local tourist attractions, which we believe will set Rwandan productions apart from others. We want to show Rwanda in visuals. People need to discover Rwanda through cinema, because the country has so many unique features,” he said. “They need to see the cleanliness, the Virunga mountains, the gorillas, and other stunning geographical scenes,” he added, urging the private sector to seize the opportunities in the film industry and build trust in its potential. “They should take bold steps and invest in areas like training, venues, partnerships, and other segments of film production. But this can only work if Rwandans themselves first consume our products before we look to external markets.”