Educational Media Reviews Online

Since the genocide of 1994, when over 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsi, were reportedly massacred in a hundred days, many documentaries and movies have appeared, covering various aspects and perspectives of the slaughter. Yesterday in Rwanda adds to that list, but one should not think that this is just another documentary. The large, sad eyes of the beautiful narrator, Claire Wihogora, disabuse one of any such thoughts. In her calm voice, she holds the viewer spellbound as she quietly recounts her traumatic experiences.

Claire left Rwanda in 1998 and currently lives in Toronto, where she tries to make sense of her past and forge a future for herself. In the documentary, she relives the horror of hiding in the bush with her parents, brother and sister, and the ultimate death of not only her father and brother but of the Hutu neighbors who had initially offered them refuge. Together with her sister and mother, she was herded into a house which was set ablaze. Miraculously, all three of them survived and were later reunited.

Like many survivors of trauma, the past has not left her. Claire swings between reflection and attempts to block it out. She recalls the fruit-laden surroundings of their home – a lush, green paradise that Pardo weaves into the narrative – which later became her family’s hiding place. It is ironic that it is in the bleak, wintry weather of Toronto that she finds peace, and is able to share a laugh with her Rwandan friends, as they view the ultrasound picture of the new life forming in one of them and do their nails.

She does not consider herself as a survivor, but as she aptly puts it, “I have unique experiences. I was there.” Being there, living through the genocide and being able to share her story in such a powerful way is a compelling enough reason to watch and learn from the documentary. While “Never again” should be the rallying cry, sadly, then comes Darfur.