A new documentary, When The Hills Remember, revisits Bigogwe, a scenic region in Rwanda’s Western Province whose tranquil landscape conceals one of the earliest flashpoints of violence that would later culminate in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Adapted from the book When The Hills Remember by Apollinaire Munyaneza, the film reconstructs a largely overlooked chapter of Rwanda’s history—one that predates 1994 yet foreshadows the systematic nature of the atrocities that followed. A rehearsal for genocide The documentary centres on Bigogwe, formerly part of Commune Nkuli, where targeted killings of Tutsi were reported in the early 1990s. Historians and survivors featured in the film argue that the violence was not spontaneous, but a calculated “trial run” that revealed how state-backed structures could mobilise ethnic persecution. Through archival material and testimonies, the film reinforces a widely established understanding: genocide is a deliberate and organised process, often enabled by authorities and executed through local networks. The narrative is driven by testimonies from survivors such as Silas Munyakabanje, Louise Uwimana, and Athanase Nsengiyumva, who recount years of persecution, displacement, and fear leading up to 1994. Their accounts are juxtaposed with confessions from perpetrators, including Tharcisse Mpabanzi. One of the most striking stories is that of Moïse Sinangumuryango, recognised as an Umurinzi w’Igihango (Protector of the Pact), who risked his life to save Tutsi. He helped more than 18 people cross into what was then Zaire—now the Democratic Republic of the Congo—shielding them from imminent death. The film also draws on research by Leopold Gasigwa, who directed the documentary. His work explores how political dynamics influenced the scale and coordination of violence in Bigogwe, suggesting that the region’s historical ties to influential figures in pre-genocide leadership structures may have played a role. A survivor of the Genocide against the Tutsi, Gasigwa has made it a personal mission to preserve memory through film. “I am among those committed to collecting and preserving the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, because I am also a survivor,” he told The New Times. He recalls surviving in the former Butare Prefecture, in Runyinya Commune, where tens of thousands of Tutsi had sought refuge at Karama Catholic Parish. Within just two days—April 21 and 22, 1994—more than 75,000 people were killed in the area, according to memorial records. When The Hills Remember adds to Gasigwa’s growing body of work on genocide memory and reconciliation. His previous films include Izingiro Ry’amahoro, L’Abcès de la Vérité, Miracle, The Family, and Urantokoza, as well as a documentary on Tito Rutaremara. His seventh production, Engineering Rwanda, takes a different direction, exploring how Rwandan engineers can position themselves globally by 2050. Most of his films are available on his YouTube platform, Enjoy Africa TV, which serves as a digital archive of research and testimonies related to the Genocide against the Tutsi.
