FOR history to stand the test of time, it has to be documented for future generations. Renowned film director, Leopold Gasigwa is a believer of this philosophy. 

Known for documentaries like Izingiro ry’Amahoro about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Gasigwa has released another documentary film, L’abces de la verite. Although the Genocide lasted 100 days, L’abces de la verite shows that the genocide ideology started way before. L’abces de la verite also highlights the role of the church in the genocide.

"The Catholic Church has a lot of influence in this country but they didn’t do much to stop the genocide from happening. The church has not taken the initiative to bury their members who were killed because of their stand against the genocide. It is like they are shying away from the truth as they don’t want to talk about what really happened,” Gasigwa explains. The film features interviews with Catholic Church leaders, lawyers, lecturers and other experts on how the Catholic Church played a major role in supporting the genocide.

The 40-minute documentary is divided into two parts. The first part features events before 1994 that led to the Genocide. The second part  looks at how Rwanda has moved forward after the Genocide. In both parts, the director talks to individuals who lived and witnessed events before and after the Genocide.

He says he was inspired to do this movie because he had seen many Tutsi who sought refuge in the Catholic Church being killed.  He was among the few who survived when the house of God was also turned into a slaughter chamber.

Who is Gasigwa

Leopold Gasigwa was born in 1973 in Huye District. He is the seventh born in a family of nine children. During the Genocide, Gasigwa who was young at the time together with his family sought refuge at Karama parish church.