Amani film festival awards Rwandan writers

Two Rwandan writers were recently a warded for the documentaries they wrote on various issues that affect society and they are subsequently going to be converted into films. The duo beat eleven other contestants from countries with in the great lakes region to claim the award in the event organized in Rwanda for the first time. “This year, for its second time the Amani Great Lakes Film Festival has invited young film makers from regional countries including Burundi, D.R. Congo, Uganda and Kenya to share their experience in film making,” said Jacques Bugingo, the festival director. He revealed that these workshops, conducted by the film experts focused on theater management. The winning documentary entited ‘Iraha Ryakanya ritamaripfa’ meaning ‘fleeting enjoyment does not guarantee a life time of happiness’ was written by Aimable Kubana. Kubana is an actor in a play based on the same documentary that runs every weekday on City Radio, a local radio station in Kigali. He is also a singer and has released two albums. The film festival rewarded him with a cash price of Rwf 100,000. “Production for a movie will start in three months time and it is then that I will be called to Hollywood to officially receive my prize!”, he joked. “I have also submitted the copyright of the documentary and now I am not allowed to add anything unless with their approval,” said a jovial Kubana. The second place was taken by another young talent, Edward Bamporiki Uwayo who is also a leading actor in Urunana, another popular educative play. The documentary called ‘Razor Blade’ recounts the story of a young girl who was born as a result of an unwanted pregnancy. The girl’s stepfather later finds out that the child belongs to another man, with anger and resentments he is forced to kill the him. “Despite the differences in race and ethnic backgrounds reflected in the play, it is not aimed at promoting genocide ideology but instead to help expose its dangers and avoid it especially among young people,” Bamporiki told The New Times upon being announced second runner up. Bamporiki came to the limelight in October last year when his documentary, ‘Long coat’ which won acclamation as an African film during the renowned file festival, Festiavale de Cannes. The Long coat is a play involving a young boy who witnessed his father’s murder during the Genocide and the trauma that comes with this forced the boy to reveal the secret during a Gacaca court session. The documentary which has also attracted interest as a movie has taken Bamporiki to places including Los Angeles, Hollywood and the future seems brighter for the young talent. “I have chosen to write about the genocide and its impacts because hardly fifteen years after the horrible mass murder, its ideology still remains a challenge to Rwandans and the world at large,” Bamporiki said. Ends

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Amani film festival awards Rwandan writers