RWANDAN CINEMATOGRAPHER and filmmaker, Justin Kwizera has been nominated for the 2022 Focus on Ability film festival which asks film makers across the world to Focus on the Ability of people with disability and tell a story through film for the world to view. The festival’s sponsors donated over USD 100,000 worth of cash and prizes to encourage filmmakers and people with disabilities to tell their stories. Kwizera was nominated for the festival for his “2:57 minutes” documentary film titled Be You. The film is based on the main character, Julienne, a woman with physical disability. She was born in Rubavu District, where Rwanda borders Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). What she does for a living is to carry goods on a big bicycle. She started such a business to empower fellow women with disabilities and help them elude loneliness. Since 2007, she has crossed the border to DRC for the same work, striving to get money to pay school fees for her children and cover other daily needs for her family. The documentary proves that disability is not inability. Commenting on it, Kwizera said, “Most of the time people think that persons with disability can’t do anything, but in this film, I show that there are many things they can do and even employ those without disability.” Kwizera started a career as a videographer and cinematographer in 2013, making video clips for different Rwandan artistes. He later ventured into filmmaking and has since worked on different local and international movies including Fatrain which he made for East Africa's Got Talent that took place in Kenya and Portrait of Reconciliation, a movie by Joel Karekezi. He has also worked for Rwanda Image Films as a cinematographer for around five years before he became cinematography trainer for the Mashariki African Film Festival. While there, he worked on award-winning movies such as The Talent and A story to tell. Kwizera urges Rwandans to keep loving Rwandan films and support the industry, and filmmakers to produce more films that empower youth and people in general. He asks people to offer support by voting him in the 2022 Focus on Ability film festival, giving him a chance to win prizes. Focus on Ability is organised by NOVA Employment, a not-for-profit disability employment agency funded by the Australian Government.
