Ben’Imana

Rwanda, 2012. For some, the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis is something best left in the past. But the repercussions of the violence are felt everyday by survivors who were targeted in the carnage. After years of silence, people's courts are being established, aimed at achieving both justice and reconciliation. Though there is a great deal of resistance, in the Kibeho district, survivor Veneranda (Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi, excellent) is committed to the process and even organises discussions between the families of victims and perpetrators – a vivid reminder that they still live side by side, just as they did prior to the genocide. These attempts at reconciliation are tense, as some characterise the genocidal violence as mere 'misbehaviour'. As one of the survivors pointedly says: "I'm tired of being asked to forgive all the time. As if I carry around a bag full of forgiveness." Into this febrile atmosphere, Veneranda receives the news that her teenaged daughter, Tina, a source of much pride and promise, is pregnant, and this forces her to confront her own past. Though tackling humanity at its worst, the extraordinary Ben'Imana ultimately shows a path forward to healing and peace.