As We Forgive: the Gripping story of Reconciliation as the World Remembers the 15th anniversary of Rwanda‘s 1994 Genocide

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

May, 2009

HOLLYWOOD, CA (ANS) --

In the movie 'As we Forgive,' Rwandan genocide survivors Rosaria and Chantale come face-to-face with the men who murdered their families in 1994.

As the government continues to release genocide perpetrators (over 50,000 to date) from prison, frustrating hopes of victims’ families that the law will serve complete justice, Rwandans are finding that they must turn to reconciliation.

According to a media release, As We Forgive, directed by Laura Waters Hinson and narrated by Mia Farrow, follows Rosaria and Chantale, two Rwandan women who come face-to-face with the men who slaughtered their families and attempted to murder them during the 1994 genocide.

An estimated one million Rwandans were killed and nearly a million widows and orphans were left in the genocide’s wake.

The media release says that due to overpopulation in Rwandan prisons and national reconciliation efforts, over 50,000 imprisoned genocide inmates have been released in recent years, moving back into communities and villages where they once brutally killed their neighbors’ families. As We Forgive engages both sides -- killers and victims -- with compelling questions, including, "Could you forgive a person who murdered your family?"

The film seeks to discover the integral role that forgiveness and reconciliation will continue to play in the future of Rwanda, as the nation copes with the implications of assimilating murderers back into their former communities.

Mpower Pictures plans to release As We Forgive on DVD in fall 2009, in conjunction with numerous initiatives related to the film, commemorating the 15th anniversary of the genocide.

Mpower Pictures and Image Bearer Pictures, in partnership with Prison Fellowship International, have launched Living Bricks, a non-profit initiative that helps repentant genocide perpetrators build housing for their victims' families. Over 10,000 ex-prisoners have started the reconciliation process and have expressed interest in participating.

"Mpower’s mission and vision is to evoke discussion. We’re creating a movement out of the movies so the discussion doesn’t stop after audiences watch the film. We want people to respond in effective ways to help communities around the world," says Stephen McEveety, CEO of Mpower Pictures, who has produced films such as The Passion of the Christ, Braveheart and The Stoning of Soraya M., which will be released later this year.

According to the news release, this year has been named the International Year of Reconciliation by the United Nations, an effort to mobilize the international community to start reconciliation movements in suffering and conflict-ridden areas.

Another movement, 'The 100 Days of Hope Campaign', will run from April 7 to July 15 -- marking the exact dates of the Rwandan Genocide.

"These campaigns highlight the important work of continued healing and reconciliation in Rwanda," says McEveety.

The release says that Hinson’s passion to make the film was ignited after hearing amazing stories of genocide survivors reconciling in Rwanda. She returned to Africa several times to meet with victims and document the reconciliation process.

“Ed and I believe independent filmmakers are the poets and sages of our time,” says John Priddy of Priddy Brothers, who serves as executive producer on the documentary.

Mia Farrow, well known for her Hollywood career and work in Africa, narrates the film. The film has garnered critical acclaim, including the Gold Winner for Best Documentary at the 2008 Student Academy Awards, and the Crystal Heart award-winner at the Heartland Film Festival.

The film has also received critical acclaim at film festivals, including the Gold Winner for Best Documentary at the 2008 Student Academy Awards, the Audience Choice at the National Geographic All Roads Film Festival, and the Crystal Heart at the Heartland Film Festival.

The media release explains that while visiting Rwanda in 2005, Hinson, then a master’s film student at American University, met Anglican Bishop John Rucyahana, a leading reconciliation advocate in Rwanda. Shaken by her experience,

Hinson spent ten months raising funds, returning to Rwanda with a video crew in 2006 to document the extraordinary reconciliation project.

The media release says Mpower Pictures produces films that profoundly impact culture, entertain and inspire. The company seeks to “empower” both the artist and the audience by telling stories that are compelling, bold and uncompromising.

Mpower Pictures was created to leverage producer Stephen McEveety’s experience in producing highly profitable event films, as well as his ability to reach and mobilize mainstream audiences across the country. His producer credits include The Passion of the Christ, We Were Soldiers, Braveheart and What Women Want.

Mpower launched with its first film Bella, followed by the release of An American Carol. The Stoning of Soraya M. is slated for release in 2009, and Mpower is currently wrapping production on the family film Snowmen. Visit www.mpowerpictures.com .

A partnership between Prison Fellowship International and As We Forgive, Living Bricks restores hearts and homes in Rwanda, equipping repentant genocide perpetrators with the tools to build housing for their victims’ families. The campaign invites people to join Rwanda’s reconciliation movement, building The Living Bricks Village, a center for cooperative economic, educational and spiritual development. Visit www.livingbrickscampaign.org  for more information.

John and Ed Priddy, co-founders of Priddy Brothers develop, produce and distribute independent films that explore with respect, grace and artistry the depth and breadth of the human experience. The company champions high-quality film projects created by self-energized, entrepreneurial filmmakers passionate about their art and its message.

The Priddy’s are executive producers of award-winning documentaries including Hilla Medalia's Peabody Award winning To Die in Jerusalem, Doug Block's critically acclaimed 51 Birch Street and Dani Menkin's Academy short listed 39 Pounds of Love. For more information, visit www.priddybrothers.com .

Director: Laura Waters Hinson
Narrator: Mia Farrow
Street Date: October 5, 2009
Language: English/Kinyarwanda
Genre: Documentary
UPC #: 899459002013
Distributor: Sound Enterprises
MRSP: $16.95

For more information on the movie, visit www.asweforgivemovie.com .

For an interview with Laura Waters Hinson about As We Forgive, contact Ben Laurro at Pure Publicity at 818.753.4056 or Ben@purepublicity.com .

Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.