Ghosts of Rwanda

After countless interviews with government officials, diplomats, soldiers, and survivors of the genocide, Ghosts of Rwanda uncovers, first-hand accounts of the genocide from those who lived it, the diplomats who served during the genocide; the Tutsi survivors who recount the despicable murders of their friends and family, unfortunately slaughtered by Hutu friends and co-workers; and the U.N. peacekeepers in Rwanda who were ordered not to intervene in the massacre happening all around them. The documentary relives the Genocide by visiting the locations where thousands were killed. In numerous occasions there were remains from the dead bodies, clothes and bones from ten years earlier still there. The documentary showed actual footage of Tutsi’s being slaughtered and really depicts the horrific murders.

                Ghosts of Rwanda was a fantastic documentary; it was extremely informative and illustrated the genocide in a whole new light. It didn’t show the good in Rwanda, rather focussed on real life accounts of survivors who saw their family and friends murdered right in front of their eyes. Many of the real life accounts were hard to swallow because it showed the reality of the genocide and how hard it must have been to see your family killed and being powerless while they died. This documentary was fabulous because it showed real people and their stories. I connected to each one and felt their pain. One story in particular was when a little girl had to hide under hundreds of bodies so she wouldn’t be slaughtered by the interhamwe. The church was supposed to be safe, but one day the interhamwe discovered their location and there was nothing they could do to prevent their death. Ghost of Rwanda was an amazing documentary that portrayed the genocide in a whole new light; it showed me what really happened during these 100 days. I would recommend this documentary to an older audience because of its gruesomeness, that’s interested in learning more about the genocide. I would rate it 4/5 stars, it really taught me a lot about the struggles the Tutsi’s must have faced on a daily basis.