After completing high school, Claudine Ndimbira Shenge enrolled for a film making course at the Kwetu Film Institute, inspired by her childhood love for story-telling. Today, she is not only a budding local film maker and singer, but also the Communications officer at Kwetu, writes Moses Opobo…

What drew you to the world of filmmaking?

I started writing, filmmaking and composing music as a hobby in high school. After finishing my secondary education I joined the Kwetu Film Insitute in 2011. Since then I attended several workshops and master classes on scriptwriting, directing, producing, sound design and animation by film directors like Klaus Keil, Phil Alden Robinson, Kivu Ruhorahoza, and Mohammed Ghazala.

My experience allowed me to participate in several local films as a script supervisor, director, producer, sound recordist, music composer and fixer. In 2014, I coordinated the GIZ (German Development Cooperation) film project "Shed Light on your Rights” where I also produced the film "Impuruza” and another one called "She”. 

I love story telling! When I hear or tell a story I can see the lively images as it would be in real life. I want to share this experience by using moving images. As a child I always wondered how films are made. It took me quite long to find out until I attended a filmmaking workshop for the first time with Phil Alden Robinson. Since then I went deep in discovery of filmmaking. Now I love it as much I love story telling.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

My inspiration is my environment. What I see, feel or hear, I always want to share it. To look into other cultures and the daily life of people from different backgrounds helps me to develop new ideas and bring more variety into my films. 

I want to be part of the people who can help others to enjoy, because I know how good it feels to watch a nice movie and I know I have a talent and the ability to create something new so I decided to join the cinema industry.

Besides, In Africa we have a lot of stories to tell and a lot of beauty to show. As an African filmmaker I feel responsible to shed light on all those precious stories that have not yet been revealed. Through film I express myself, I educate, I make people laugh and cry, I create a new life.

What else do you do away from filmmaking?

I love singing, I have songs , I have so many compositions. My personality always leads me to do the reggae style. Some people call me Rasta and I love that!

What are some of the projects lined up for next year?

I prefer to keep this for myself and then you will see, believe me the best is yet to come!

In your view, what is the state of the film sector in Rwanda?

In Rwanda, we lack professional film equipment and also lack skilled people in all different fields of cinema. But the most challenging thing is finding producers and co-workers. Team work is rarely done here and staying individual in filmmaking is a way of losing. I wish people could work together, exchange ideas and then our projects will be powerful. But we are on the right track, slowly by slowly we will get there, the change is obvious compared to some years ago. Things are getting better and better.

What’s cooking for the New Year?

Two of my films, She, which is fiction, and Hora Mama, a documentary have been selected to be screened in Los Angeles during the Pan African Film Festival in February. If it was possible that my films can be selected for that maybe next time I will be in competitions! But the documentary, Hora Mama was chosen for the competition in France called Tremplin Jeune realisateur, I am waiting for the results...I am thrilled!