CinemaSerf
February 11, 20237.0
Based on true events, this tells the story of a young pastor "Karembe" (Ery Nzaramba) who must seek shelter with his daughter from the Hutu militia who would kill them both. To survive, they take refuge in the home of the eponymous and still feared local shaman (a powerfully engaging performance from Eliane Umuhire), but can local superstition keep them safe? 1994 Rwanda was subsumed by genocide and this illustrates potently in just twenty-odd minutes just how perilous it was for Tutsi people - and for anyone who dared to intercede. Even those who meant well, worked hard and contributed to the well-being of the community were targeted and, goaded by the voice of the "Prof" on the radio, the Hutu people were encouraged to wipe out the "cockroaches". It's intimately and intensely directed by Jo Ingabire Moys and though not graphic visually, leaves no doubt in your mind of the ongoing brutality of the time.