Patrick Mureithi

Documenting the joy and courage of forgiveness in Rwanda

Can hope be found after devastating tragedy?  In a country where up to one million people were murdered in a hundred days, is it possible to work toward rebuilding relationships in communities where neighbor turned against neighbor, and forgiveness and reconciliation seem impossible when trust is no more?

Award winning documentary filmmaker Patrick Mureithi, a Kenyan native, traveled to Rwanda to film a gathering of 10 survivors and 10 perpetrators of the 1994 genocide. ICYIZERE:hope is a documentary about the experiences of the participants, as they are taught about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and go through a series of group exercises to help build trust. The film also explores how the media was used to incite fear, hatred and, ultimately, genocide, as it is the filmmaker’s belief that just as media can and has been used to divide and destroy, so can it be used to unite and to heal.

ICYIZERE (ee-cheez-eh-reh) has been shown at the 2009 Rwanda Film Festival, Rwanda National Television, the National University in But are, and Gisenyi Central Prison (both in Rwanda), where one of the subjects of the film was imprisoned for his crimes during the genocide. It has also been shown in Kenya, Uganda, and at various churches, colleges and high schools in the United States, where Mr. Mureithi currently resides and works as the Artist in Residence at Drury University in Springfield, MO.

The discussions inspired by the screenings have been very moving, as viewers realize that this is not just about the Rwandan story or the African story; it is about the human story. It is about the dangers of an "us and them" mentality, and the need to realize our common humanity by emphasizing our common future. ICYIZERE:hope is a film about the power of, and the need for, forgiveness.

In Kinyarwanda with English subtitles.