Two young Rwandan filmmakers are set to travel to Germany to attend an international filmmakers’ class at the Baden-Wurttemberg Film Academy. 

This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) between the Kwetu Film Institute and representatives of the Baden Wurttemberg Film Academy at the Kwetu Film Institute this Tuesday.

Before the signing ceremony, about ten short films produced by young Rwandan filmmakers were screened, and it is from this pool that the two lucky filmmakers will be selected.

Speaking at the ceremony, Guido Lukoschek, the coordinator of International Relations at the Baden –Wurttemberg Film Academy, revealed that Rwanda was the second African country to benefit from the collaboration, the other being South Africa.

"A couple of years ago one of our Alumni came to Rwanda to work with the Kwetu Film Institute and we kept contact and he was updating us on developments here, so we thought it might be a good idea to add Rwanda onto our map of international relations because we find the media scene here very, very interesting and we believe that in coming years there’s a lot to come because of the potential exhibited,” he explained, adding that the country has a huge potential for narration and story-telling.

"We are seeking to help young artists to find their voice and define their artistic character and develop it. We think this is a great opportunity not only to teach Rwandan students in Germany but also to bring our own students down here.”

Enoch Ssemuwemba, the school manager at Kwetu Film Institute, described the MoU as "a great leap in the right direction”.

Rene Nkurunziza, Marketing Manager at the Kwetu Group, said that the vision of Kwetu is to become one of the leading film institutions not only in Rwanda but within the region, so such partnerships are a way for Kwetu to spread its wings:

"Before, when a person mentioned Rwanda, people thought about its history, but looking at the short films screened today, Rwanda has moved away from that.”

He added, "There is a fantastic support being generated for the creative industry in Rwanda. It is simply the greatest thing to help build a nation’s narrative by creating an atmosphere in which cultural expression can thrive. This is arguably the most important sector in our economy as people are handed the tools and resources to explore our country’s vast and rich cultural history and, in shaping its future, to express ourselves while appropriately valuing our hearts, our hills and our homes. Indeed, it is often said that people are our greatest asset and that we should sufficiently invest in them first.”

Nkurunziza believes the Rwandan film industry could play the role of a unifying storyteller that, while always recognizing and celebrating its own cultural roots, broadens our perspective on "the other” who is often in many ways the same as "us”.

Each year, the Baden Wurttemberg Film School invites twelve students from all over the world for the single semester course that lasts five months.

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