MUBI

Late in the film, a character declares that “liberation is a journey.” Ultimately this is what Munyurangabo is all about – the long list of things that can enslave us – jealousy, oppression, filial duty, sins of the past or those yet to be committed – even friendship. It also probes if and how we can shake off the chains. On the surface, it’s a simple narrative that opens with a shot of one of the two main characters, Ngabo, snatching a machete. Next we follow him and his best friend Sangwa as they hitchhike out of the capital city Kigali and somewhere into rural Rwanda. They arrive at Sangwa’s home, where we learn he has been away for three years. Given that he’s probably no more than 15, one wonders under what circumstances he left home, how he’s been surviving, and most pressing of all – what’s with the machete? While Sangwa’s mother cries tears of joy as she is reunited with her prodigal son, his father is far from being sentimental about a child who hasn’t been present to help his family, who like the rest of the villagers, live a hardscrabble existence but one of quiet dignity. Both parents are wary of the shifty-seeming Tutsi guest who has accompanied their son, while Ngabo is just as leary of his Hutu hosts – all with good reason. Shot in a mere 11 days, Munyurangabo is the first feature film in the language Kinyarwanda. The undertaking is the result of a filmmaking course taught at a Christian relief camp in Rwanda, and the story was crafted from the participants’ real life stories. Out of these dynamics, many touching moments develop as well as a few haunting ones. The use of genocide survivors as the main actors and languorous shots of the countryside make Munyurangabo a neorealist gem.