The Filmmaker, Patrick Mureithi, is attempting to tell the story of what is happening in Kenya, and how it is very similar to what happened in Rwanda in 1994. In his words,

“In 2007 I had the opportunity to travel to Rwanda to film a gathering of 10 survivors and 10 perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in which up to 1 million people were killed in 100 days. The resulting film, ICYIZERE:hope, is a project that has changed my life – and continues to change my life – in many ways. It left me with 3 conclusions:

1) The greatest malady in Africa is unresolved psychological trauma

2) True forgiveness (which can lead to reconciliation) is possible when different sides of a conflict are brought together in a safe environment, encouraged to ventilate their feelings, acknowledge their wounds and the wounds of the “other,” and given the opportunity to make amends, and

3) By working towards one’s own healing, we become more complete human beings. We become ambassadors for peace with our friends, within our families and within our communities.

“ICYIZERE (ee-cheez-eh-reh): hope” has taught me that every single one of us need to realize our common humanity by emphasizing our common experience. It has also strengthened my belief that just as media can and has been used to divide and destroy, so can it be used to unite and to heal.

I would like to make a film that speaks to Kenya’s situation, that shows that it is in fact possible to resolve the issues that the country is facing in a peaceful manner, that gives hope to many. This has everything to do with addressing unresolved psychological trauma. Without doing so, then it is almost guaranteed that there will be repeated cycles of violence. Such a message, shared through the medium of film, can have a great impact.”

I have seen his first video about Rwanda, and it was eye opening, and heart changing. I know that, given the chance, his exploration of the situation in Kenya can have similar effect on people, and bring more discussion about the cause to the forefront. He is correct in saying that we need to realize our common humanity by emphasizing our common experience.

View Link [kickstarter.com]