‘Kinyarwanda’ to premiere at Sundance film festival

‘Kinyarwanda’, a new feature film, will premiere on January 24 at the USA and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. It was written by a local filmmaker, Ishmael Ntihabose, and directed by American movie star, Alrick Brown. The film talks about how Moslems saved Catholics during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It was sponsored by the European Union, Ministry of Culture and Sports, as well as Unity and Reconciliation. The Sundance Film Festival kicked-off yesterday in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, and ends January 30. American film director/producer, writer, and actor, Spike Lee, the mentor in the Kinyarwanda, will attend the premiere. Ntihabose noted that the message in the film is to tell the world that unity and reconciliation is possible in Rwanda. “Rwanda is now a peaceful country. A country with one identity, one language and with good governance,” Ntihabose told The New Times. He added: “We’re moving on from grief to a brilliant future –other countries which experienced internal conflicts should learn from our experience.” Kinyarwanda will be premiered in the country on April 7 at Amahoro National Stadium. Jolie Murenzi, an Associate producer and Art director, said the film gave chance to local actors to work on big sets and learn skills from American film stars, like Cassandra Freeman. She added that the Ministy of Defence was contributed to the success of the film. “In art department, we often used weapons, including guns, and the Ministry of Defence extremely supportive,” Murenzi noted. Ntihabose is expected to hold forums with students from different universities to speak about his film. “We’re also invited at University of South Carolina to teach the students about Ingando and how unity and reconciliation contributed to our country’s remarkable transformation journey after the Genocide,” Ntihabose said. The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival which promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe.This year, the event will feature 115 films from 30 countries, including 94 world premieres and 40 first-time filmmakers. The World Cinema Dramatic competition category includes work from Colombia (All Your Dead Ones), Ireland (The Guard), Norway (Happy, Happy), Israel (Restoration) and Cuba (Ticket to Paradise). Ends

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‘Kinyarwanda’ to premiere at Sundance film festival