Hollywood to produce Rwanda liberation movie

The US motion picture industry, Hollywood, is in advanced stages of producing a movie that will depict and tell the story of the 1990-1994 Rwanda Liberation War. 

The liberation struggle was championed by Rwanda Patriotic Front/Army (RPA/F) and had to face off with the darkest moments of the country’s history when more than a million people were killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Eric Kabera, the head of Hillywood, one of the producers of the movie, said they will soon start shooting the movie, that is to be titled, Before and After.Rwanda’s Hillywood and Hollywood have teamed up to produce the motion picture that chronicles events that characterised the struggle by the RPF/A to liberate the country from decades of misrule.

Hillywood is the local cinema industry, while Hollywood is the renowned American film industry.

Kabera told The New Times last week that the movie had reached development phase and it will take them six months to prepare for the script shooting.

“The script is done and we would be getting a line producer to break down the budget as we plan to secure the finances. This will take another six more months before we know the date of the shooting,” Kabera said.

The liberation war ended on July 4, 1994, with the RPA (now RDF) soldiers stopping the Genocide.

According to Kabera, the message of the film focuses on the struggle to liberate Rwanda and it is meant for future generations to know how RPA liberated Rwandans from “darkness”.

The film will be an expensive project that needs mostly Rwandan investment rather than international finances which would otherwise dictate the tone of production.

Adam Leipzig, an American film and theatre producer, film executive and writer, is one of the proposed film producers alongside Kabera.

Leipzig has supervised such films as Dead Poets Society (1989) and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). He has also produced films such as Titus (1999) and The Way Back (2010).

Adam was the president of National Geographic Films in Los Angeles, US, from 2003-2010.

Kabera said he was working on the new documentary project that will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Rwanda.

The documentary, titled “My identity” focusing on dance and music of Rwanda is under preparation and the shooting starts next month.

Kabera, the founder of Kwetu Film Institute, and the other producers have spent the last three years preparing for the first feature film on Rwanda’s liberation struggle.

The film will be the first indigenous African war movie – told by Rwandans and featuring Rwandans.

Kabera is known for producing films such as Africa United, 100 Days, Through My Eyes, Keepers of Memory and KIST towards a Brighter Future.

The New Times