vernon film society
Bringing the best in world and Canadian film to film lovers of Vernon and the North Okanagan
UN DIMANCHE Á KIGALIDirector: Robert Favreau |
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Directed by Robert Favreau (THE ORPHAN MUSES), this eagerly awaited film adaptation of Gil Courtemanche's best-selling novel "Un dimanche à la piscine de Kigali" follows a Québécois journalist in Rwanda who falls in love with a Hutu waitress as violent civil unrest breaks out. In 1994, the swimming
pool of Rwandan hotel Mille-Collines is a magnet
for privileged Kigali residents: aid-workers, Rwandan
bourgeoisie, soldiers and assorted expatriates. Among
these patrons is Bernard Valcourt (Luc Picard, L'AUDITION),
a Canadian journalist and filmmaker documenting AIDS
in Rwanda . He is quickly taken with the beautiful
Gentille (Fatou N'Diaye). In spite of their differences,
Gentille and Bernard fall passionately in love and
marry. When violence breaks out between Gentille's
people and the Tutsi, the pair is separated by desperate
circumstances and Bernard embarks on a challenging
mission to find her. Resonating on many levels, Courtemanche's
story addresses global politics, racial tension and
powerful human emotions. Portraying the beauty of a love complicated by racial politics, UN DIMANCHE Á KIGALI is set against the horrific Rwandan genocide yet leaves viewers with the uplifting message that humanity is more capable of good than evil. Lusciously shot on location, cinematographer Pierre Mignot (C.R.A.Z.Y.) deftly captures the beauty and the tragic reality of the Rwandan countryside. Stand-out performances abound from a star studded cast that includes Céline Bonnier (MONICA LA MITRAILLE, LE DERNIER TUNNEL), Maka Kotto (MÉMOIRES AFFECTIVES, LE GOUT DE JEUNES FILLES), and Alexis Martin (L'AUDITION). Yet another impressive film to emerge from Quebec , UN DIMANCHE À KIGALI is a cinematic experience not to be missed. |
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Director Favreau, who also
wrote the screenplay, seamlessly transports the story
to the big screen with lucidity and compassion.