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Survivor of genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda used ‘nightmares’ to inspire new Bafta-nominated film-Aisha Nozari-Entertainment – Metro
Bazigaga is nominated in the short film category.
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Jo Ingabire Moys’ Bazigaga is nominated for a Bafta in the short film category (Picture: Bazigaga film/Bafta)
You’ve probably heard of The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis and Tár.
But another, lesser-known film up for a Bafta at this year’s ceremony is Bazigaga: director Jo Ingabire Moys’ emotionally piercing short set during the genocide against the Tutsi, which she herself survived 30 years prior.
Bazigaga is nominated in the short film category and follows Karembe (played by Ery Nzaramba), a Tutsi pastor who is trying to protect his young daughter by seeking refuge in the home of Bazigaga (played by Eliane Umuhire), a local shaman feared for her perceived supernatural powers.
Although Bazigaga allows Karembe and his injured daughter to take shelter in her house, it soon becomes clear her home’s walls won’t protect them for long.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Moys reflected on her own memories of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda and how they’re weaved into her powerful film.
‘I have those dreams, I have nightmares, if you will, and sort of put that on screen,’ she shared.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Moys, right, reflected on her own memories of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda (Picture: bazigagafilm)
The filmmaker added: ‘The genocide against the Tutsi happened when I five years old. So, it’s quite a formative age. And I think many memories you have from that age are very visual.
‘Because I was a child, I didn’t fully understand what was going on. But the way my therapist explained it was: as you get older [those memories] rear their heads. They manifest that trauma in different ways.’
Moys also shared: ‘For me, it manifested through my dreams. I’d wake up and have a scene in my head, so it’s very cinematic in a way.
‘The way I made the film, there’s a very specific style and a very specific look. I wanted, in a way, to capture those memories and put that on screen.’
Bazigaga follows Karembe, a Tutsi pastor who is trying to protect his young daughter by seeking refuge in the home of Bazigaga (Picture:)
Bazigaga is actually based on a real woman named Zura Karuhimbi who saved over 100 people during the genocide (Picture: @Kigali_Memorial METROGRAB)
Incredibly, the character of Bazigaga is actually based on a real woman named Zura Karuhimbi who saved over 100 people during the genocide.
Karuhimbi was feared by the militia because she was believed to possess magical powers, a reputation she leaned into to help keep others safe throughout the ethnic violence.
Karuhimbi died in 2018 and although Moys was never able to meet her, it was clear from the way the director spoke about Karuhimbi that she was always at the forefront of her mind while making the film.
Bazigaga is a local shaman feared for her perceived supernatural powers (Picture:)
Moys noted: ‘When you see African women in Western cinema, they’re not treated with much dignity’
‘She was a lone woman in a tiny little hut. There were men with AK47s and machetes outside her house and they were afraid to just open the door.
‘It’s the most extraordinary thing. She was beloved in Rwanda. She was a hero. She still is.’
When asked what she hopes people take away from the film, Moys, who was speaking to us from Rwanda, said without pause: ‘One of the reasons I made this film is because I wanted to offer a different sort of film about the genocide against the Tutsi. There is so much out there that I don’t feel is true.
‘That’s not representative of what happened here. Sometimes the story is diluted and exploited for cheap entertainment.’
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She went on: ‘I wanted [to create] a film that I felt was true to the story. It’s a fictional film, but I feel like it’s really true to the story of my people.
‘I hope that people understand that Rwandans also saved Rwandans. And women did an incredible thing. When you see African women in Western cinema, they’re not treated with much dignity. I want people to understand that Africa has a lot of heroes worth celebrating.’
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