EXCLUSIVE: German actor Eugene Boateng (Borga) has joined the cast of Rwanda genocide drama Bisesero: A Daughter’s Story.
Boateng joins Tracy Kababiito (African Folktales), Wale Ojo (The Foundation), and Isabelle Kabano (Sometimes in April) in the film, which has been billed as the first major feature about the tragic events in Rwanda in 1994 to be told exclusively about and by Africans.
Between 500,000 to 800,000 people belonging to the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa were killed by armed Hutu militias over the course of 100 days between April 7 and July 15, 1994.
Nigerian director Ema Edosio-Deelen will direct from a script that she is co-writing with award-winning Rwandan director and screenwriter Joël Karekezi.
Watch on Deadline
Bisesero: A Daughter’s Story will recount the little-known true story of the Bisesero Resistance, in which tens of thousands of Tutsi, led by an elder called Aminadabu Birara (played by Ojo), bravely fought off Hutu attackers.
The film is part of Largo.Ai’s pitch session at this year’s EFM. The project is also one of the first recipients of Rwanda’s film incentive program. The film is being produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Richard Hall, whose documentary The 600: A Soldiers’ Story about Rwanda during 1994 is on Amazon Prime. Additional producers include Rwanda’s Karekezi and Yvette Rugasaguhunga. Hollywood-based independent film packager Slated has partnered with Hall as an Executive Producer.
“We are delighted to have Eugene as part of this project,” Hall said. “His groundbreaking performance in Borga and his connection with authentic African stories assure us, like the rest of our cast, that we will deliver this important story in all its power to the international audience.”
The post ‘Bisesero: A Daughter’s Story:’ Eugene Boateng Joins Pan-African Rwanda Genocide Drama — EFM appeared first on Deadline.
