| Imbabazi: The Pardon | |
| Director: | Joël Karekezi |
| Runtime: | 77 minutes |
| Country: | Rwanda |
| Language: | English |
Imbabazi: The Pardon is a 2013 Rwandan film, written and directed by Joël Karekezi in his feature film debut.
Imbabazi: The Pardon was made on a low budget, with actors performing for free, and shot in Uganda.[1] The film grew out of Karekezi's earlier short film, The Pardon (2009), which won the Golden Impala Award at the Amakula Film Festival. It received a development award from Gothenburg Film Festival,[2] where it premiered on 28 January 2013. It was also shown at San Diego Black Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Fespaco and Seattle International Film Festival 2013.[1]
The film follows two former friends, Manzi and Karemera, whose lives diverge during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Manzi joins Hutu Power, while Karemara's life is in danger as a Tutsi. Fifteen years later Manzi is released from prison and tries to make amends for his violent past.[3]