In April 1994, the parents of two-year-old Samuel Ishimwe were murdered in Rwanda. Their fate was shared by up to a million people in the genocide against the country’s Tutsi minority. Thirty years on, Samuel sets out to discover what set these terrible events in motion.

This documentary examines the role of German and Belgian colonialism in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Rwandan director and filmmaker Samuel Ishimwe goes in search of the origins of the "racial hatred" between the Tutsi and Hutu communities: "We speak the same language, share the same culture, the same country – what drove us apart?"

Accompanied by director Matthias Frickel, Samuel Ishimwe traverses Rwanda, Germany, and Belgium, shedding light on his country's history through conversations with historians and contemporary witnesses.

RECLAIMING HISTORY: THE COLONIAL ROOTS OF THE GENOCIDE IN RWANDA – DIRECTED BY SAMUEL ISHIMWE AND MATTHIAS FRICKEL, DOCUMENTARY BY DEUTSCHE WELLE (GERMANY/RWANDA), 2024, 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES – IN ENGLISH, FRENCH AND KINYARWANDA – ENGLISH SUBTITLES

ACCES DIALOGUE

Following the screening, the panel discussion will reflect on the themes raised in the documentary. Together with historians Dantes Singiza (Ghent University) and Juliette Bour (University of Antwerp), the moderator Latifah Abdou will examine how colonial racial ideologies operated, how they became institutionalized, and how their legacies continue to shape narratives, identities, and power structures today. The conversation invites us to understand how racism took root in Central Africa, and to better understand its mechanisms, histories, and lasting impact in this region.

The conversation is in English.

This program is curated by Sadjo Thiam of Acces in collaboration with Ibuka vzw and Diaspora Rwanda Belgium. Acces Dialogue is an interactive format developed by Acces that brings together diverse voices through curated events designed to foster meaningful conversation and generate collective insight around contemporary social and cultural topics.