As We Forgive (2008)
Could you forgive a person who murdered your family? This is the question faced by the subjects of As We Forgive, a documentary about Rosaria and Chantal-two Rwandan women coming face-to-face with the men who slaughtered their families during the 1994 genocide. The subjects of As We Forgive speak for a nation still wracked by the grief of a genocide that killed one in eight Rwandans in 1994. Overwhelmed by an enormous backlog of court cases, the government has returned over 50,000 thousand genocide perpetrators back to the very communities they helped to destroy. Without the hope of full justice, Rwanda has turned to a new solution: Reconciliation. But can it be done? Can survivors truly forgive the killers who destroyed their families? Can the government expect this from its people? And can the church, which failed at moral leadership during the genocide, fit into the process of reconciliation today?
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Reviews
Excellent but underrated film
A Disappointing Continuation
This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
*This review has connections to religion*I watched the movie As We Forgive directed by Laura Waters Hinson. It is a documentary that follows Rosaria and Chantal, who are two women from Rwanda who have to make a difficult choice of forgiveness. The story goes back to the 1994 Genocide Of Rwanda, when many people's families were ruthlessly killed and when everything was destroyed. Rosaria and Chantal are two victims of this crime against humanity, as their family members where brutally murdered. 120,000 suspects who were involved in this genocide were taken to the Gacaca Courts, which were traditional village court system that took care of disputes or events in the village. The courts used different ways to mend the torn relationship between the villagers and the suspects by making the suspects apologize the the villagers. Sadly, in some cases, the victims personally knew the suspects as friends who had taken away the lives of their family. Not only that, but victim's houses and fields were burnt down. So in return, the accused helped rebuilt what was destroyed.Watching this documentary was very touching, and just surprising to see how some had some much kindness to forgive someone who killed their beloved and to see how scary people can be - even your best friend and kill you or your family any time. It reminded me of the Crucifixion Of Jesus Christ, and how horrible people treated Him as He was dying on the cross, even when He didn't do anything wrong to the people. And yet, God had so much grace to forgive us.