Review of Sometimes in April (2005) by Di C — 14 Aug 2008

The gruesome tragedy of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 absolutely must become public knowledge if we are to maintain the watch for symptoms of similar acts in the present and the future. Hotel Rwanda was a fine film that capitalized on the heroism of one man, and justly so, for his selfless vision that saved many lives.

But as far as a film that relates the same story without the emphasis on one hero, Sometimes In April is for this reviewer more powerful: the genocide speaks more loudly because it focuses on the victims.

Writer/Director Raoul Peck has created a stunning impact with this film made for HBO. The details of the history of the rebellion of the Tutsis against the Hutus is clearly explained and made far more understandable than in previous efforts.

Peck wisely utilizes the talents of Idris Elba and Carole Karemera as the husband and wife of mixed marriage and it is their story of survival and witness that makes this examination of Rwanda so intense.

Oris Erhuero and Debra Winger among others feel completely committed to this story in the way they bring honesty and credibility to their roles. Photographed on location, this film is at first a country beautiful to look at and then the beauty of the land filled with corpses is nearly unbearable.

The contrast is typical of the way Raoul Peck has sculpted this important film. By Hollywood standards as well as by Public Information standards, this is a film that should be seen by everyone as not only a fine movie but also an important documentation of a tragedy that should have never been ignored.

Shame on the world!