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entertainment18h ago
‘Ben’imana’: Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo On Directing Rwanda’s First Cannes Title & How Haile Gerima And Lee Isaac Chung Helped To Launch Her Career
- Dusabejambo wrapped Ben’imana, Rwanda’s first Cannes title, ahead of its Un Certain Regard premiere in 2026.
- Dusabejambo credits Lee Isaac Chung and Haile Gerima as pivotal mentors shaping her career.
- Ben’imana is a 100% African co-production spanning four to five countries with mk2 handling international sales.
- The project received funding from Rwanda’s new state-backed Film Fund, enabling local crew hiring and risk-taking.
- Dusabejambo describes Ben’imana as a project showcasing Rwanda’s independence and local financing.
- The film follows a community court system and a genocide survivor confronting motherhood and secrets.
- Dusabejambo highlights mentorship as key to expanding opportunities for women in film.
- Chung's early Rwanda period inspired Dusabejambo to begin her filmmaking journey.
- Gerima’s workshop and his DVD collection influenced Dusabejambo’s craft and persistence.
- mk2 handles international sales for Ben’imana, facilitating global reach.
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