Forsaken Cries: The Story of Rwanda

In 1994, close to one million people were killed in a planned and systematic genocide in the African country of Rwanda, the largest systematic murder of a single race since the Holocaust.

How did this carnage occur when the world declared after WWII that it would never tolerate such mass murder again? Who was responsible? Why did the international community fail to respond? This sensitively filmed documentary attempts to answer these questions.

Forsaken Cries incorporates historical footage of the colonial period, interviews with survivors and analyses of key issues including: international law; history of the Great Lakes region; failure of the international community, US policy and NGOs; the refugee crisis; women's human rights violations; and the war crimes tribunal.

This is a case study of the horrendous consequences of neglecting preventive diplomacy.

DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE
An information-packed 100-page booklet, useful for both teachers and human rights activists, is available for download here. It is divided into these sections:

Human Rights
History Of Rwanda
What is Genocide?
World's Response
Rape as a Weapon
Refugee Crisis
Arms Flows
Struggle Against Impunity
Classroom Activities
Resources

Preview link available upon request. Contact support@videoproject for more information

Forsaken Cries looks at the chilling Rwandan genocide and the world's response to it.

A film by Andrea Torrice, Curt Goering
Executive Producer Kathi Lynn Austin

35 Minutes

Grades 11 - Adult

Item #: FOR-469

This documentary looks at the roots of the conflict in Rwanda that led to the genocide of nearly one million Tutsi people by Hutu military extremists beginning in April of 1994.

Starting at $59

Licensing Options

K-12 Schools, Public Libraries, Community Groups - $59 K-12 DVD + Digital File - $109 Colleges, Businesses, Other Institutions - $125 Colleges (DVD with Digital Site License) - $275 K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected]

Reviews and Festivals

"Highly Recommended. This documentary is flawless in its summary history of Rwanda, bringing the viewer from the Belgian colonialist’s institution of ethnic division in Rwanda to the country’s genocidal conflict beginning in 1994. The film begins by posing the question, “Could this have been prevented?” I simply cannot give enough praise for this film. By its very format and sequential presentation of facts and events, the film begs for classroom discussion."
— Educational Media Reviews Online

"Recommended. In the spring of 1994, the world was 'shocked' by the genocidal killing in an African country that had hitherto attracted little global attention: Rwanda. While critics at the time dismissed the tragedy as 'tribal conflict,' the reality -- as this hard-hitting documentary makes abundantly clear -- was more complicated, though no less obvious. Combining interviews with local officials, social commentators, and Amnesty International representatives, along with archival and brutal contemporary footage, Forsaken Cries makes a convincing case that the warning signs were in place well before the actual slaughter transpired. Sure to stimulate class discussion, and accompanied by an extensive notebook-sized study guide, this is recommended."
— Video Librarian

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