Kinyarwanda (2011)

Kinyarwanda

Let’s put it out there, up front: “Kinyarwanda” (2011) is one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. It won best dramatic film at both the Sundance and AFI film festivals, as well as being listed by late film-critic Roger Ebert as one of his top ten films of the year.

“Kinyarwanda” is the native language of Rwanda. It’s a country that lives in the minds of most Americans as a place in constant strife, rife with genocidal violence. “Kinyarwanda” (the film) depicts a land that deserves more than some of that reputation.

The film tells the story of several villagers—some young, some old—set against the backdrop of near-constant ethnically-driven violence.

In the Rwanda portrayed in “Kinyarwanda,” the Tutsi-Hutu conflict pervades every part of life. It is a place where a simple late-night walk can turn into a life-and-death situation in a moment. Radios blare endlessly with hate speech, spreading fear and suspicion, the opposition considered “cockroaches.”

The film follows the lives of a young couple, a priest, a pair of soldiers, as well as former militia fighters, showing how each tries to survive the present and reconcile the past, while precariously navigating such a chaotic world. Safety seems a distant notion.

The film is creatively constructed: it isn’t told in a linear style, but instead made up of several stories interspersed. The story jumps back and forth, flashing forward and back, however it’s not confusing in the least. This triumph of story-telling  technique is a credit to writer/director Alrick Brown.

Kinyarwanda’s strength is that it feels emotionally truthful. It’s touching without being melodramatic. The characters’ rich stories are honest and realistic, rather than the emotionally-manipulative creations of an imaginative writer. Their unique situations are patiently drawn, but the movie isn’t slow.

You may notice this review intentionally omits any description of the film’s story. Its plot is entertaining, but I don’t want to reveal too much. Doing so would rob the film of some of its inherent suspense, and emotional power.

Honestly, I wasn’t all that excited to see this film, at first. I’ve seen “Hotel Rwanda,” the documentary “Long Night’s Journey Into Day” (about post-apartheid South Africa’s “Truth and Reconciliation Councils” trying to come to grips with the horrible crimes of that era), and presumed this would be another well-intentioned, earnest story about good, decent people living under impossible circumstances. “Kinyarwanda” is so much more.

See this film. You will like it more than you expect. Writing the review, remembering all the kindness, violence, joy, sadness, forgiveness and ultimately hope that this film contains, has made me want to, again.