Defying Stereotyping Hutu People in The Rwandan Genocide in The Film, Kinyarwanda (2012)

Abstract

Certain academic works and film productions on the Rwandan genocide appear to authorise a new canonicity that simplifies interracial relations between the Tutsi and Hutu people before and during the genocidal war. Kinyarwanda is a film that revises the depiction of Hutus as violent people, all eager to kill Tutsis. The film refuses to endorse this mythology and one-sided characterisations of Hutu Tutsi relations. It shows that there were many Hutu people who perished because they had assisted Tutsi people. It is implied in the film that for film critics to label this category of selfless people Hutu moderates would be a misnomer. Hutus who assisted Tutsis are simply the heroes in the film. Mamdani has convincingly argued that, within the theatre of death in the Rwandan genocide, there were Hutu zealots, along with Hutus who were reluctant, those who we coerced and, most importantly, those who chose to hide Tutsis. The film Kinyarwanda defies the official Rwandese ideologies that stereotype Hutu people as guilty by association in respect of the Rwandan genocide. In this respect, the film’s authorial ideology is revisionist.

Opsomming

Sekere akademiese werke en rolprentproduksies oor die Rwandese volksmoord blyk ’n nuwe kanonisiteit wat die interrassige verhoudinge tussen die Tutsi’s en die Hutu’s voor en tydens die volksmoordoorlog vereenvoudig, te sanksioneer. Kinyarwanda is ’n rolprent wat die uitbeelding van Hutu’s as gewelddadige mense, wat almal gretig was om Tutsi’s dood te maak, hersien. Die rolprent weier om hierdie mitologie en die eensydige karakterisering van Hutu Tutsi verhoudinge te onderskryf. Dit wys dat menige Hutu’s gesterf het omdat hulle Tutsi’s gehelp het. Dit word in die rolprent geimpliseer dat die beskrywing van hierdie kategorie onbaatsugtige mense as Hutu gematigdes deur rolprentkritici onakkuraat sal wees. Hutu’s wat Tutsi’s gehelp het, is bloot die helde in die rolprent. Mamdani voer oortuigend aan dat, midde in die teater van die dode wat tydens die Rwandese volksmoord afgespeel het, daar Hutu-fanatici was, tesame met Hutu’s wat onwillig was, diegene wat onder dwang opgetree het en, in die besonder, diegene wat gekies het om Tutsi’s weg te steek. Die rolprent Kinyarwanda daag die amptelike Rwandese ideologiee uit wat Hutu’s stereotipeer as aandadig aan die Rwandese volksmoord bloot omdat hulle Hutu’s is. Die rolprent se ouktoriële ideologie is revisionisties in hierdie opsig.