Educational Media Reviews Online

After forty years of Belgian rule that favored the Tutsis over the Hutus in Rwanda, independence also came unequally. The Hutu governed Rwanda and oppressed the Tutsi. While some Tutsi left the country to avoid persecution others formed a rebel army to overthrow the Hutu government. The Hutu leaders retaliated by admonishing the Hutu to “do their duty” and kill their Tutsi neighbors. The eventual military victory of the Tutsi in July 1994 resulted in a coalition government, the Rwandan Patriotic Front organized and led by the current President Paul Kagame. The government now prohibits discrimination and any emphasis on Hutu or Tutsi identity in most types of political activity. With this Rwandan history as a background the creativity of one Rwandan woman and the social entrepreneurship mission of an ice cream business in New York City stand out even more as incontrovertible healing endeavors.

Kiki Katese, a Rwandan theater director, looked at the emotional state of her fellow citizens and asked, "How do we rebuild a human being?" as we rebuild the government and the economy. She responded to the need by organizing Ingoma Nshya, Rwanda's first and only women's drumming troupe. It is open to women from both sides of the conflict with only one requirement for participation: leave the categories of the past behind. The footage of the women drumming together reflects joy and freedom which stands in sharp contrast with the faces of the general population. The interviews of the women from the troupe recall the time of the genocide and tell the distress of the current living conditions. Rwanda’s people struggle to survive and provide basic needs for their families.

While leading the drumming troupe Katese became acquainted with two women from Brooklyn, the co-founders of Blue Marble a New York City organic ice cream. They are also the founders of Blue Marble Dreams, a social service organization with the goal of building ice cream shops in partnership with women in areas recovering from conflict or natural disaster. They see the development of ice cream shops as a way to lift both the spirit and economy of a community. Katese presented the idea of opening Rwanda's first and only ice cream shop with the women from her drumming troupe. Not being familiar with ice cream they were still interested in exploring the idea. Kiki then contacted Jennie Dundas and Alexis Miesen of Blue Marble Dreams to come to Rwanda and help them get started. This documentary follows the progress of the nascent co-operative through to the opening of Inzozi Nziza, Sweet Dreams and the discovery of ice cream as a sweet treat by the community.

Throughout the telling of the story of the drumming troupe and the development of the ice cream store there are scenes of life in the Butaro, footage of drumming practice, and the interviews with several women in the troupe. Because the interviews include women whose families were killed in the genocide and from a woman whose family did the killing there is a powerful message of reconciliation and forgiveness of self and others. This film is appropriate to all ages with the understanding that there is footage of massive murdered bodies and efforts of reburial from mass graves to individual ones.

Both public and academic libraries would find this a good addition to their collections, particularly academic libraries that support programs in women’s studies, history, music therapy, post colonialism, civic minded business practices and social entrepreneurship.

Awards

• Winner, Jury Prize at the Mujerdoc Documentary Film Festival 2013
• The Top Ten Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2012
• Winner, HBO Films Producer Award at the Savannah Film Festival 2012
• Winner, Audience Award IFEMA International Female Film Festival 2013