Karekezi invited to Seattle International Film Festival

Next week, Rwandan filmmaker, Joel Karekezi will be attending one of the most prestigious global film festivals in the U.S.A.‘Imbabazi: The pardon’ weathered strong competition to emerge among the nine African films that will represent the continent at Seattle International Film Festival 2013.The film has been screened in different International film festivals. These include Göteborg International Film Festival, San Diego Black Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival and Fespaco When the country plunges into turmoil, Manzi and Karemera who are inseparable until the inexorable forces of history and violence tear them apart.The death of Rwanda’s Hutu president plunges the country into ethnic turmoil. Manzi must choose between friendships and family, on the flipside, Karemera pays the horrific price.Fifteen years later, news of Manzi’s release from prison throws Karemera’s life into jeopardy. In retrospect, Karemera attempts to have his childhood friend behind the bars as Manzi struggles with self-guilt.As these former friends search for justice and absolution, they find themselves at odds with a society eager to forget the trauma of the past.We caught up with the film director in Kigali. Below are some of the excerpts:‘Imbabazi: The Pardon’ is not just another story about genocide; the narrative is cleverly told through the eyes of Rwandans. The film focuses on the search for reconciliation and forgiveness. Its well-developed film characters make it easier for the audience to understand the Rwanda history.A number of films on genocide usually focus on the historical events but Karekezi chose to emphasise on the characters. The central relationship of the film is the friendship and tragic separation of Karemera and Manzi that tells the larger story of the genocide against Tutsi.As one of the survivors, Karekezi was looking for something more in his story “Having survived the genocide, I wanted to go beyond the Rwandan history. I reflected on the future of our country too and as you might have realised, the tone of my film is hopeful just like the bright future for our new generation” he explainedQ: What inspired your film?A: I was 8 years old when my father was killed during the genocide. Later on, I began to ask myself whether I would forgive the person who killed my father. I wondered if and how forgiveness could happen. All these questions inspired me to write a film that explored the theme of forgiveness. I also wanted to explore the Rwandan history while depicting a brighter future. Q: What was the hardest part in producing this film?A: Completing this film was very difficult. The film was shot on a low budget in a foreign country on a very tight schedule. I was constantly searching for finance to cover the post-production costs. The production process was hectic at times, but it was fulfilling to have it done and share the story with the world.Q: Why did you choose to make this film in Uganda?A: This boils down to budget. Most of the people who acted in this film are my friends that I met during filmmaking workshops. They acted for free something that was not possible in Rwanda. Most importantly, all my locations were secured by Ugandan based Maisha Film lab, free of charge.Q: You are a beneficiary of different film funds, what is the secret in application?A: As a trained screenwriter, I make sure that I write quality scripts. The next thing is collaborations; I have friends in different parts of the world and we collaborate in fine-tuning our scripts. Lastly, one has to keep pushing because sometimes you get the funds and other times you don’t. As for me, it’s a process of applying and applying again. Q: What is the main challenge for Rwandan filmmakers?A: Despite the fact that there are many untold stories in Rwanda, there are no funds to support filmmakers. Our friends in Europe and America are lucky to have different funds where they can apply to develop their scripts, to produce and even to distribute their films. The Rwandan filmmakers have to compete for the funds in Europe and America, which is not an easy feat.Q: Any new project soon?A: Yes, I am working on another feature film project, ‘The Mercy of the Jungle’. It’s a road movie Idea that follows two best friends who get lost in the jungle and now their journey is to find the army. This film idea won the CFI Best Audiovisual Award (5,000 Euro) at Durban Filmmart 2012 in South Africa. This month, I will be attending Cannes Film Festival to pitch the project to funders into La Fabrique de Cinema du.

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Karekezi invited to Seattle International Film Festival