April 13, 2012

MPAC will honor the powerful award-winning motion picture "Kinyarwanda” at its 21st Annual MPAC Media Awards on May 13. 

Winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Audience Award, this moving film takes place during the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when several heroes emerged to remind people of their humanity. Among them was the Mufti of Rwanda, who exemplified religious leadership and peacemaking, by declaring a fatwa during this time of war that Muslims could not kill any Tutsis. This command flew in the face of the notion that religion starts conflicts.

As the country became increasingly torn apart due to war, “Kinyarwanda,” which is based on true accounts, tells the story of Muslims, Christians, Hutus and Tutsis who took refuge at the Grand Mosque of Kigali and the madrasa of Nyanza. It recounts how the Imams opened the doors of the mosques to give refuge to the Tutsi and those Hutu who refused to participate in the killing.

The film interweaves six different tales that together form one grand narrative which provides the most complex and true to life depiction of human resilience and life during the monstrosities of the infamous genocide. With an amalgamation of characters, the film pays homage to many, using the voices of a few. In the history of war and religion, it is important for a film such as ‘Kinyarwanda’ to be honored as it shows that there are human beings striving for good in the name of God.

Following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, “Kinyarwanda” has enjoyed critical acclaim and a growing list of awards. These accolades include World Cinema Award at AFI and Sundance, the Official Heart Award at Heartland Film Festival, and the Grand Price Sunny D-Cinema Award at the Skip City International D-Cinema Festival, along with a plethora of audience awards from multiple festivals.

“Kinyarwanda” writer, director and producer Alrick Brown, who made his directorial debut with this film, and executive producer Ishmael Ntihabose will accept the award for the feature film.

Roger Ebert gave the film four stars, calling it “a powerful film.” The Village Voice hailed it
as being “filled with moments both charming and horrifying, sometimes all at once.”

The critically-acclaimed film is now available on Xfinity and FiOS Video on Demand and Amazon Instant Video. Coming soon to more digital movie platforms.

On May 1, “Kinyarwanda” will be released on DVD. Use the code “MPAC” and receive $5 off of the already reduced price.