Director
Anne Aghion
Cast list
Abraham Rwamfizi
Credits
Produced by Laurent Bocahut and Anne Aghion
Edited by Nadia Ben Rachid
Distributed by Gacaca Productions and Incarus Films
Synopsis
On January 2, 2003, the government called for the release of some 16,000 Hutu genocide offenders back into the very communities they both directly and indirectly committed crimes against during the Rwandan Genocide. In Rwanda We Say… The Family That Does Not Speak Dies, directed by Anne Aghion, follows the story of one particular self-confessed war criminal, Abraham Rwamfizi, who admits to only some of his criminal charges. The first half of the film focuses on the reality of Hutus and Tutsis coexisting post-genocide. The documentary captures the importance of discussion, such as within the Gagaca tribunals, where those accused could hear from the families of those they killed. While a majority of the victims express initial anger and resentment towards their former oppressors, as the film progresses and the two sides begin to talk to one another, the stagnant line between oppressed and oppressor begins to fade. The film concludes by lingering on the reality that, despite having reconciliation and healing on the horizon, no real justice has been administered to the Tutsis people.
Reviews
Scheib, Ronnie. "In Rwanda We Say… The Family that Does Not Speak Dies." Variety, 30 March 2004, Accessed 3 April 2018.
Janzen, John M. “The American Historical Review.” The American Historical Review, vol. 110, no. 3, 2005, pp. 914–915. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/ahr.110.3.914.