In 1997, three years after the Rwandan genocide, a large refugee camp was disbanded over the border between Rwanda and Zaire (now the Congo), causing a mass repatriation of genocide refugees and rebels back into Rwanda.
A group of rebels bent on destabilizing the new government infiltrated the north, an area called Kibuye, and carried out massacres, mostly against Tutsis.
On the night of 18th March 1997 they raided Nyange Secondary school in the North West of the country. The rebels surrounded the school dining hall and classes when all students were doing their night studies. Students in class 6 were made to lie down and asked to separate themselves into two groups: Hutu and Tutsi.
They refused.
This is the story of those students - whose refusal to separate cost many of them their lives, and who have recently been honoured as national heroes ten years after their deaths.
The film will be a short (around 15 mins) reconstruction of events - based on survivor testimonies and written by Rwandan film-maker Ayuub Kasasa Mago. We will be filming with the support of the Nyange school, and the student survivors association, and the actors will be speaking in the Rwandan national language, Kinywarwandan (to be subtitled for non-Rwandan viewers).
We have a fantastic crew onboard - all volunteering their time and skills:
Tim Neeves - Director of Photography
Sara Kewly - Assistant Director
Bernie Gardner - Composer
Mairi Neeves - Production Manager
Sven Pannell - Producer
Debs Gardner-Paterson - Director
We are currently unfunded - largely due to the speed with which the production has come together (something like 6 weeks from conception to shoot). Any offers of help would be very appreciated, as we will have something like £1500-2000 in costs most likely (over and above crew travel).
For those would just like to know what we're up to, or are who are pray-ers - what follows is a basic overview of what we'll be doing...
The schedule looks something like this:
April 25th Debs, Sara, Sven arrive Kigali >> Meet with Ayuub & focus on local pre-production - we will need to sort out permits to film, start casting the main parts, scouting locations in Kibuye and making finishing touches to the script.
April 26th Spend time in preparation with Ayuub (also with Debs' aunt Meg Guillebaud, who lives in Rwanda - Debs also delivering a website to her for her charity Friends of Byumba)
April 27th Bernie arrives Kigali
April 28th Drama & Music workshops with Meg in Byumba (as we are now no longer shooting the short in Byumba, need wisdom on how to handle these - do we bring actors from Kigali, do we split the team and leave some in Kigali to continue with film prep whilst we honour the commitment in Byumba with Meg... Very happy that Sara Hyde is joining us and can help bring her skills to this!) Bernie will run the music workshops - a trained African drummer himself - encouraging the kids in their incredible heritage!
April 29th Church service in Byumba - Debs to share car crash story, and to thank the many there who were praying for her & Sophie to recover. Certainly a very humbling experience. Afterwards there will be a concert from Byumba drummers and the Widow's Choir - Bernie will be working with, and hopes to record to use in film soundtrack.
April 30th Take Meg to the airport (she's off on holiday!) and head to Kibuye to begin prepping the shoot on location
May 2nd Tim and Mairi arrive from a shoot in Uganda in the evening - we'll pick them up from Kigali, and hope to start filming the next day
May 3rd-7th - Filming in Nyange school, and surrounding areas - filming the short and also some survivor testimonies
May 8th Bernie, Sara, Debs, Tim and Mairi fly home - Sven stays to direct a separate documentary!
Key Concerns at this stage
- None of the necessary permissions would be withheld. We are very keen to film in the school, as the headmaster feels it could be a really positive experience for the students, and the survivors association are also very supportive. We need permission from the ministry of drama and culture to do this and also to be able to bring a trauma counselor with us from Kigali.
- We also could be charged somewhat prohibitively for permission to film - it would be great if this were not the case! We are all volunteering, and working collaboration with Ayuub and the Rwandan Cinema Centre, and crucially any proceeds from the film will go back to Rwanda and not to us - so it would be great if we could avoid being charged £200 per crew member to film!!
- We need to find a good cast!
- The team has had very little chance to meet together in advance of going to film - so we're all trusting and working towards a great working relationship as we collaborate on this in what will be a very time-pressured two weeks.
- We need to be really sensitive to issues that this story relates to. The desire is that we make a film which communicates the immense bravery of these and so many other Rwandans in such and incredibly difficult and damaging time. We are thrilled to be working with Ayuub as writer and co-producer, whose voice, sensitivity and passion for the project are totally essential to our avoiding 'waltzing in' and telling a Western story. This story needs to be Rwandan.
- That said, we also need to be able to explain enough about life post-Genocide during the build up to events in the film that a Western audience will understand what it was that happened. On many levels it is a universal story - but it would be great to get this balance right!
- Finally, general stuff: in the last two weeks, Bernie had his laptop stolen (thankfully now replaced - hopefully insurance pays out), our car (Bernie & Debs) was hit whilst parked during the night, and bank details were cloned and the account drained. It would be great if there were no more of these!!!
I think that's it for now! If you're a pray-er, please pray! If you're a well-wisher, please wish us well! We really want to honour the memories of these kids and what they did, as well as be an encouragement and advocate of the many Rwandans who are living, and have lived and died for peace, forgiveness and each other. We also want to make an excellent little film.
We'll try and post updates as we go... loads of love and THANK YOU!
xx Debs, Bernie, Tim, Mairi, Sven, Sara and Ayuub!
