Joel Karekezi’s Mercy of The Jungle has won four awards, out of the eight categories that it was nominated for in the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) that took place on October 27, in Lagos, Nigeria. The categories won are; Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Make-Up, and Best Film, while Mark Zinga won Best Actor in a Leading Role. The film also won the ‘long feature film’ award in the Rwanda Film Festival, that took place the same weekend. Speaking to The New Times, Karekezi expressed how this year has been fruitful for him and believes Rwandan films are worth qualifying for the Oscars. “2019 has been a fruitful year for my career. The Film ‘The Mercy Of The Jungle’ won many international awards, and the biggest award in Africa, Etalon dOr De Yenenga. This is good news for the film. Four AMAA’s is a good proof for Rwanda to apply for Oscars”. Mercy of The Jungle (La Miséricorde de la Jungle) tells the story of two soldiers who were separated from their military unit at the beginning of the Second Congo War, and their struggle to survive in a hostile jungle environment in the middle of intense armed conflict. It is Karekezi’s second feature film, after The Pardon of 2010, a short film that talks about a young man’s redemption after killing his best friend’s family in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He is currently writing his next film. The AMAA, established in 2005, seeks to acknowledge the efforts of filmmakers, actors, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and everyone else involved in the process of filmmaking all over the continent of Africa. AMAA 2019 Winners Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award – Julius Amedume – Rattlesnakes Best Diaspora Documentary – My Friend Fela – Brazil Best Diaspora Short Film – Bail – UK Best Diaspora Narrative Feature – Hero – Trinidad and Tobago/Canada Best Achievement in Production Design – Redemption – Mozambique Best Achievement in Costume Design – Mercy of the Jungle – Rwanda Best Achievement in Soundtrack – Mabata Bata – Mozambique Best Achievement in Visual Effects – The Delivery Boy – Nigeria Best Achievement in Make-Up – Mercy of the Jungle – Rwanda Actress in a Supporting Role – Adesua Etomi – Nigeria Actor in a Supporting Role – Jarrid Geduld – South Africa National Film and Video Censors Board – King of Boys Best Actor in a Leading Role – Marc Zinga – Mercy of the Jungle Best Actress in a Leading Role – Sobowale – King of Boys Best Director-First Feature Film – Blitz Bazawule – The Burial of Kojo – Ghana Best Director – Jahmil X. Qubeka – Sew the Winter to My Skin South Africa Best Film – Mercy of the Jungle – Rwanda editor@newtimesrwanda.com
