In the western province of Rwanda, there is a school called Nyange Secondary school. Its where, in March 1997, the seeds of Unity among Rwandese were planted and the roots of divisionism uprooted.

Jean Claude Uwiringiyimana has just finished making a film, "One Night at Nyange” about the incident Sunday Times’ Bryan Kimenyi sought an interview with him to give the readers an insight into the film and Uwiringiyimana’s career. Below are the excerpts.

Tell us a little about your self

I am Jean Claude Uwiringiyimana, 34 years old and a lecturer at the National University of Rwanda (NUR) Faculty of Languages, Media and Social Sciences, department of modern languages. I have a Master’s degree in Texts, Languages and Cultures and a certificate in filmmaking.

I’ve spent the bigger part of my career directing and producing dramas, but I want to evolve and take another step to reach professionalism in filmmaking.

My first movie was produced in 2003, "Itegeko ntiriteranya” (Law doesn’t divide people). This sensitizes people about Human Rights and was produced by Youth Association of Human Rights (Ajprodho) funded by European Union.

Three years after, I created my own company, Flash Media Productions, and begun to produce my films. In 2006, I directed and produced "Uwera, Jacques 1,12” with two parts: one part called "Uwera, L’innocence” talks about sexual violence and some rights of child.

I’ve also written some screenplays to be produced very soon. Most of them talk about our history and I have chosen this orientation because consider that it’s the good way we should remember and act like our forefathers especially those who have proved the spirit of heroism and abnegation for the best future of our country.

For example, there is one about the death of King Rudahigwa that if goes well I’ll make a movie about the events which preceded and followed his death in 1959. It will be a documentary.

So, are you a Director, Script Writer, or a Producer?

In this case, I combine those roles. A hard work, you understand! For this film we are talking about, it’s a production of my company Flash Media Productions and I’m its Director. Based on a true story, I also did its script, inspired by testimonies from some survivors of that night at Nyange.

How did you think of the idea of making this Film?
 
First of all, I do every thing with the purpose of developing our Film Industry. I also wanted to use the Film Industry in helping erase the bad things that our country has been through by reminding the community of the good people who died for Rwandese Unity.

Actually I developed this idea in 2007, when there was talk of Divisionism among schools in different parts of the country. Then I remembered that, ten years back, other students at Nyange had died struggling for Unity of all Rwandese. I had to remind the population of the cause of these students!

When should we expect its launch?

In fact, I wanted to launch the movie around 1st February this year, but I wasn’t done with everything. Now I expect the launch around 20th March and it will be almost 12 years since these Girls and Boys shed their blood for the cause of Unity.

What was your target when making "One Night at Nyange”?

Like I said earlier, I wanted to remind the youth of the incident. But in Kinyarwanda we say, "So ntakwanga, akuraga icyamunaniye” meaning that, old people who teach their children habits of divisionism are not solving anything but leaving their sons and daughters in a more complicated problems that have characterized their own life.

Let us try and avoid all habits of divisionism for the sake of our children. And international community has also to know that Rwandese have a lesson to give to the humanity, because I see that the world is divided but our children can take only one night to write the History of their generation, the History of Unity, of hope.

My other target was to try and see whether, Rwandese can’t have the autonomy of making our own films with our own resources.

How hard was it to get the actors?

It wasn’t that hard for me because I’ve worked with most of them for quite along time. But it was the first time most of them had acted, which required me to do auditions for selection. Actually, I’ve come to realize that we have a lot of potential actors who need to be exploited.

How long have you been in the film industry?

First of all, I want to tell you that I worked with Rwanda Television (RTV) in 2000 and immediately got the inspiration of doing something for the Big Screen, then in 2003, as I told you, I made my first film.

I later enrolled for a Cinema Course from Cinecours (Québec), where I obtained a certificate in filmmaking. Generally, I’ve been in the industry for nine years.

Is this the best film you’ve made?

Absolutely! I think, in general, it fulfills many cinematographic techniques related to its structure, quality of image (HDV), and sound, original music.

Of course, note that we are in the beginning of film industry and you understand the span of my step! "One Night at Nyange” is also my longest film so far (91 minutes) and I made it with sophisticated resources and technology that I have. There is a lot of actions that I did not use in my other films and my actors have improved in acting.

Do you expect the revenues to flow in?

Like I said before, I did not begin this project with the intention of making financial gains, but I expect to get some revenue to cover part of the expenses I incurred. I hope to show it in Cinemas across the country.

It will also be shown at the Film Market (MICA) of Pan African Film Festival (FESPACO) in Ouagadougou which will take place from 28th February-8th March 2009.

The reason I will be at the FESPACO, is to sell the lessons of what happened in Rwanda to the rest of the continent and the world, such that they know how far we’ve gone.

Any other people who helped in the making of the Film?

No one supported me financially, but I’m very grateful to a handful of people and organizations. The Government of Rwanda played an upper hand in making the film, especially the Ministry of Culture and Sports which authorized me to carry on the project.

Ministry of Defense was very supportive in providing military equipments. I’m very grateful to local authorities at Nyange, the Nyange Secondary School, its students.

Others are the Butare University Central Hospital (CHUB), Radio Salus, Association Modeste et Innocent (AMI), the National University of Rwanda (NUR), Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare, and KOMEZUBUTWARI Association of survivors of Nyange. Goethe Institute is also supporting me.

Above all, I’m heavily indebted to most of my actors because all of them were very committed because they wanted to it for the cause-Unity.

Contact: bryok14@yahoo.com