How I Got My Documentary Screened in the UK and Won Best Documentary in Rwanda
In 2022, I was selected for the East Africa Stories program — a highly competitive initiative delivered by Docubox, in collaboration with the British Council and the Scottish Documentary Institute. The idea I submitted was bold, emotional, and personal. It was titled I Killed My Teacher — the working title for what later became Forgiven Not Forgotten.
The film was born from a question I couldn’t ignore: What does forgiveness look like after something as painful as the Rwandan genocide? I wanted to explore not just history, but healing — and whether two men on opposite sides of the conflict could find a way back to humanity.
Over the course of the program, I was mentored, challenged, and pushed to refine the story with purpose and cinematic honesty. What started as an idea became a 12-minute documentary that follows two men — one a survivor, the other a former perpetrator — as they journey toward reconciliation. It’s not just about forgiveness. It’s about what it takes to mean it.
The documentary was later renamed Forgiven Not Forgotten, and to this day, it remains one of the most personal films I’ve ever directed.
In 2023, the film was officially selected and screened at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival and Africa in Motion Film Festival in the United Kingdom — both platforms known for showcasing meaningful, courageous stories from around the world. Being on that stage — represented through my story — was a reminder that even quiet films from small places can reach global ears when they are honest and crafted with care.
That same year, the film was also part of the official lineup at Manyatta Screenings in Kenya — an outdoor film experience that curates some of the most powerful short films across Eastern Africa. I was deeply honored to see Forgiven Not Forgotten screened among works from countries like Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
But one of the moments that moved me most was back home — when the film won Best Documentary at the Rwanda International Movie Awards (RIMA).
It was a full-circle moment. A Rwandan story, told by Rwandans, received by the world — and then affirmed right here where it began.
Today, I look at Forgiven Not Forgotten as more than a documentary. It is a reflection of how far we’ve come — not just as a country, but as storytellers. It’s proof that even the most difficult stories can be told with healing in mind. And it’s a reminder to every creator: Your truth has power. Your voice has weight. And your story, if told well, can move across borders — even when it starts as a whisper.