In Rwanda we say...
The family that does not speak dies
2005 Emmy Award Winner for its broadcast on Sundance Channel.

"An astonishing [film]..." —The Washington Post

With extraordinary sensitivity, Aghion takes us into the heart of the problem of reconciliation in a post-genocidal society - not with wordy abstractions but with the earthy, real expressions of the people, victims and accused criminals, who must try to live together. Those seeking to know whether reconciliation is possible in Rwanda must look for their answer in this compelling expression of Rwandan voices.
—Alison des Forges, Senior Adviser to the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch

"It is truly impressive how well your films are received by such diverse audiences."Taylor Seybolt, Program Officer, United States Institute of Peace

Upcoming Projects

Third film in trilogy on the gacaca in Rwanda

To reveal the complex process of achieving co-existence after killings of cataclysmic proportions, this third film on the Gacaca justice and reconstruction process in Rwanda focuses on the weekly pre-trial hearings leading up to the community-based Gacaca trials in the same rural hillside community that Aghion’s two previous films focused on.

Shot over the course of three years, through the narratives of killers, bystanders and survivors—most of whom have known each other since they were children—spoken at the weekly Gacaca hearings, the film contrasts the collective historical record with the individually narrated experiences of the protagonists.

This essential last chapter in the trilogy will be completed in early 2009, and there will be screenings coming up in the spring.

The Swiss Development Cooperation continues to support my work with a new grant in 2008. Oxfam-Novib has also recently came on board as a major funder of the third film—which has also received support from the Compton Foundation, the United States Institute of Peace, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Peter S. Reed Foundation and the Berner Family Foundation.  Other in-kind support includes the Hotel Novotel Umubano in Kigali, which has supported the production of my work in Rwanda since the very beginning.

How you can help

You can make tax deductible donations for both the third film in Rwanda, Gacaca: The Trials, and Ice People by clicking here. Women Make Movies is the fiscal sponsor for both projects. Donations can be made directly on their website.

Screenings

On May 22, 2008, GACACA, Living together in Rwanda? And IN RWANDA WE SAY... The family that does not speak dies, were shown at the Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris as part of a week of panels and screenings about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. There will be more screenings coming up in the fall of 2008.

Check back soon for upcoming screenings.

Gacaca
Living Together Again in Rwanda?
"Seminal..." —Variety

The film captures quite precisely much of what is most compelling and unsettling about Rwanda's quest for justice after genocide - and, more: it captures the feel of Rwanda, the landscape, the texture of the place, the rhythm of speech and movement, the weird brilliance of colors amid the gloom of the spirit. The sense of being there came across so vividly that at times, while watching the film, I found myself having strong smell memories.
—Philip Gourevitch, Editor of "The Paris Review", long-time staff writer of "The New Yorker", and author of the multiple award-winning bestseller, "We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families, Stories from Rwanda"

Ice People
Living Antarctica
Unique in the genre of exploration and adventure films, ICE PEOPLE is a cinematic voyage that truly captures the experience of one of the earth’s most seductive adventures—Antarctica.  For the few ambitious scientific teams who brave this awesomely beautiful, silent and unwelcoming landscape, it feels like another planet.  Searching for tiny signs of life across thousands of square miles, their discoveries in this still little-understood place yield critical secrets about the earth’s past and future, and prompt questions about our place in the world. Enduring temperatures as low as -60°F/-50°C, Emmy-winner Anne Aghion spent four months on the U.S. research station, McMurdo, and camping out in the “deep field” to relate the feeling of vastness and claustrophobia, of excitement and waiting, and of a life still set to nature’s rhythm.

Produced with a grant from the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, and with support from: The European Commission Directorate General for Research, The Centre National de la Cinématographie, The Conseil Régional de la Région Rhône-Alpes, The Conseil Général de l'Ardèche, The SACEM, RTBF, SBS.

Screenings
Anne will accompany ICE PEOPLE for two screenings at the Jerusalem Film Festival’s Cinematheque on July 12th & 15th. More information

The ICE PEOPLE premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival was a smashing success! Check out some of the media coverage.

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