Rwandan filmmaker

Why are there no girls watching your films?
a young woman in tonights audience at the Macrobert arts centre, Stirling put this question to
Eric Kabera, filmmaker and founder of the Rwandan film industry.

Earlier we had watched Finding Hillywood, an innovative documentary charting the rise of the film industry in the aftermath of genocide.
As well as establishing a film school this involves a travelling film festival touring the country showing films made in Rwanda to audiences of thousands in the open air – but not a girl in sight.

It’s a cultural thing, explained Eric, girls have to be in before dark.

The discussion that followed the showing of his film provided a stimulating ending to a thought provoking film showing how the moving image can help not only a country heal itself but also provide education along with entertainment in a country with very limited resources, offering a beacon of hope for the future.