You deal with very specific story threads. The women's personal experiences of the genocide, the country's annual month of mourning, women seeking healing and gender equality through drumming, and the quest for financial autonomy for women in Rwanda. What was your process in choosing how to integrate the different elements into the narrative?
"You've hit on the biggest hurdle we faced in making Sweet Dreams . As we followed and filmed the women, we saw all these threads play out and were reluctant to let go of any of them because all are important to their-- and Rwanda's--journey. When we returned to the States with our mountain of footage, we had to integrate these threads in a way that made sense. We edited many scenes and included stories of several women. We tried various structures until we felt we had a version that was true to their story."
There
is a scene where a man is cutting bamboo to help construct the new ice cream
store. He is using a machete. Was that shot a conscious decision to
reference a tool of the murders as a symbol of rebuilding?
"It definitely was. Machetes are a tool of daily use and serve a constructive purpose in Rwandan life. We found it ironic that tools of death were also used to rebuild and create life."
After
viewing the painful footage of the aftermath of the killings in Rwanda, seeing
the expressions of joy on the faces of young children enjoying ice cream is
quite healing. What are your hopes for what people will take away from the
film?
"We want people to see the resiliency and endurance of the Rwandan people, and realize that the horror of the genocide did not kill their spirit. It's a story of hope. Our goal is for viewers to leave the theatre inspired to do something positive to change the world."
This article originally appeared on the website cultureID
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