INT. DAY. KIGALI SERENA HOTEL. (Friday, July 23)Everyone is there to pick us up and take us to the television studios of TV Rwanda. Of course I'm anxious as all get-out as we were told it was a "live" TV interview. Turns out not to be the case--and I've skipped breakfast for nothing.
The studios are a few blocks away and, as usual, we get to the entrance and have to pass thru armed security. Standing there waiting is our host, Emmanuel Munyarukumbuzi, who, while taking a phone call directs our driver to a parking spot. There's a few moments of meeting/greeting and we stroll around to the rear (or was it front?) of the building. The studios are on the second floor and Emmanuel is clearly a very popular person among the staff who greet him/us along the way to a rather large office where we take seats.
There's more conversation, mostly questions to Emmanuel about his background and professional interests. Seems he's been out of school only a few years before landing this job. His show is an eclectic mix of programming, something that makes it hard to categorize and there are distinct advantages to that. Among other ideas we shared among ourselves was that perhaps the regional journalists might want to develop a professional association--and we suggest to him that he might consider starting it. It has distinct advantages, too!
Anyway, we're waiting for the studio to breakdown the set from a previous program, and for the Rwanda Film Center/Festival Director Pierre Kayitana to arrive. After a while we're guided upstairs and introduced to the Director of the show then take our seats on the set. Its about a half-hour before we begin. Emmanuel has several bio-sketches of us and we take some time to go over a few of the missing details, as well as clarify a few facts. Once Pierre arrives we get down to business. Emmanuel's questions are insightful and he gets us to relax and talk more easily as the interview progresses. The half-hour goes by quickly and after we pose for a couple of snaps, we're off to the Embassy again for the last workshop.
INT. SAME DAY. US EMBASSY.
We're on for our last workshop--this time with local filmmakers and television producers. Emmanuel turns up as does Olivier! We run thru an abbreviated version of our two-day (8-hour) workshop and give the filmmakers a chance to talk about their own works. One Rwandan filmmaker has brought his own film, a work-in-progress and he screens it. Its quite moving but there's criticism from the audience (and a local journalist who has come to do a story on us) about the opening segment. We let it circulate and eventually one person stands and defends the Director's right to experiment with the art form and decide what s/he wants.
Once again we go overtime and just as with the other students, these are also disappointed that we're there for only a few hours. Several have projects in advanced stages and each pumps us for information on pitching proposals for fundraising, marketing strategies, distribution locally and thru the Internet, and community-building strategies for filmmakers. One filmmaker wants to attend workshops in South Africa and has the tuition all covered but has zero funds for travel. Write a proposal to the Minister of Sports and Culture, I say. If he contributes ___% towards your travel, in exchange, you will hold x-number of workshops at District so-and-so's high school, for x-number of weeks. If that doesn't work go door-to-door to churches and make the same pitch. Try local business, especially those who know you from the community. Every franc helps!
We're done but we can't pull ourselves completely away yet.
The local reporter is a bit anxious and we gather ourselves around the table at the front of the room for an interview. He elicits some detailed responses from us about the ADS10 program and the organizations in the US (the UFVA, the IDA) that are helping to organize the films which travel as part of the program. Once again, business cards come out, email addresses are exchanged. Several students have scripts for narrative films and want our feedback and we promise to give it.
Its been "real", but the ending is almost anti-climatic.....
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