Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire has described her work in film as a form of activism, saying she deliberately chooses roles that highlight social issues, challenge stereotypes and spark meaningful conversations. “For me, my art is activism,” Umuhire said during a special screening of her latest film, Call Me Queen, held at Mundi Center in Kigali on Saturday, October 24. The screening, attended by about 100 people, was followed by an interactive discussion in which the actress reflected on her character, the film’s central themes and the power of storytelling to address social challenges. ALSO READ: Rwandan artistes take theatre productions to US Umuhire, whose credits include Birds Are Singing in Kigali, Neptune Frost, Trees of Peace, Bazigaga,Omen and A Quiet Place: Day One, stars as Queen, a Rwandan single mother living in Nairobi in the 1990s. Directed by French-Iranian filmmaker Emily Atef, the 105-minute drama is adapted from journalist Lara Santoro’s novel Mercy and draws inspiration from real-life events. The film follows Queen’s relationship with Anna, a foreign journalist who helps her access medication at a time when obtaining HIV treatment was a major challenge for many people across Africa. ALSO READ: Kigali hosts second Japanese Film Festival Speaking about her character, Umuhire said she was drawn to Queen’s complexity and determination in the face of adversity. “She’s complex, she has her flaws,” Umuhire said. “And at the same time, she’s sensitive.” She described Queen as a loud, outspoken woman with “fire in the belly”, adding that bringing the character to life required extensive preparation. In addition to working closely with Atef and the production team, Umuhire had to learn the form of Swahili spoken in Nairobi during the 1990s to make her portrayal more authentic. Preparing for the role also deepened her understanding of the history of HIV/AIDS activism in Africa, including the individuals and grassroots movements that fought to improve access to treatment. Among those she learned about were Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, and South African HIV/AIDS activist Zackie Achmat, who campaigned for affordable antiretroviral medicines. She also discovered the work of women’s groups in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, whose members supported families affected by HIV by caring for orphaned children, accompanying patients to hospitals and mobilising resources for treatment. One of the most striking revelations, she said, was how pharmaceutical patents and high drug prices had restricted access to life-saving HIV treatment in parts of Africa. Umuhire recalled learning that medicines sold for thousands of dollars in Western markets could be manufactured as generic drugs in India at a fraction of the cost. “I was like, oh, we could have saved so many people,” she said. The experience, she added, gave her a deeper appreciation of the activists and community organisations that fought to make treatment more accessible. “It’s also a reminder that AIDS is still here,” she said. During the post-screening discussion, audience members shared their interpretations of the film, particularly its portrayal of women navigating stigma, inequality and societal expectations. Film enthusiast Kevine Umuraza said the relationship between Queen and Anna showed how women from different backgrounds could find common ground through shared experiences and determination. “You see two women from totally different worlds finding common ground, not through pity, but through shared courage and a refusal to accept despair,” Umuraza said. Film student Elie Cyubahiro highlighted a scene involving Zawadi, a character who hesitates to join the fight for access to HIV treatment because she fears the consequences for her employment and family relationships. Zawadi worries that she could lose her job and face rejection from her in-laws, who might blame her for transmitting HIV to her husband. Cyubahiro said the scene illustrated how fear of rejection and social stigma can shape the decisions of people living with HIV. “The scene reflected how fear of social rejection can influence people’s responses to an HIV diagnosis,” he said.
