directed by Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze, drama, 113 min, eng subtitles, 16+
written by Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze
with Eliane Umuhire, Jowita Budnik
How to survive after a tragedy, when the only person really close to you is the one that constantly reminds you of the pain? The last film by Joanna Kos-Krauze and her late husband Krzysztof Krauze, deals with the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. Birds are Singing in Kigali is an engaging tale depicting the psychological consequences of the tragedy of 1994. Claudine Mugambira, of Tutsi descent, is the daughter of a renowned Rwandan ornithologist. After the massacre, in which Claudine’s father is killed, Anna Keller, a Polish ornithologist who has researched the vultures of Rwanda alongside Claudine’s father for years, helps her escape to Poland. The two women will need to face the tragic past that has left visible marks on their souls. Both intimate and universal, this hypnotising, visually compelling auteur film which deals with the aftermath of a trauma, eventually brings a shimmering light of hope.