The founder of Rwanda Cinema Centre (RCC), Eric Kabera, is in the UK where he is attending the premiere of the ‘Africa United’ film.

The art director who is also in charge of public relations of RCC, Jolly Murenzi told The New Times, that Kabera will also attend the screening in Toronto and thereafter in South Africa before he returns to Rwanda.

The film that is co-produced by Rwanda, UK and South Africa will be launched at the Toronto International film Festival on Sept 11, 2010 at Isabel Bader theatre.
Africa United is the story of three plucky Rwandan children, who wanted to achieve their lifelong dream; to attend the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg. 

South Africa hosted the World Cup for the first time this year, but the pride and ecstasy surged all the way up the continent. All Africans embraced the spirit of the game. Filmmakers leapt at the occasion to showcase dozens of inspiring stories from a continent often beset by bad news.

This year’s Festival sees a small collection of uplifting films set in contemporary Africa, but only one of them grants the World Cup a central role.

Synopsis

Africa United begins in Rwanda. Dudu (Elia Ndayambaje) is a boy with boundless energy and a beaming smile. Resourceful in the way of kids who have always had survive on the little that they have, he has a dazzling ability to have fun in any kind of situation.

Introduced in his slum neighbourhood, Dudu demonstrates how to make a soccer ball from an inflated condom, some twine and a stray plastic bag. His playmates on the field include the middle-class boy Fabrice (Roger Nsengiyumva), who excels at the game although his mother would prefer him to devote more time to his studies.

But these kids are passionate about soccer and when the World Cup seems so close, they cannnot resist trying to get near the action and witnessing it happen. They embark on their journey, on foot, from Rwanda to South Africa.

It turns out that for all his jokes, Dudu is living with a secret that may force the boy to confront his mortality all too soon. But as they cross border after border on their way to South Africa, the kids team up with new friends who can help them face all the obstacles in their path.

Ends