Alain and Dafroza Gauthier, justice seekers (video)

16/04/2014
Alain and Dafroza Gauthier, justice seekers (video)
 16/04/2014

« When I first met the Gauthiers — Alain, a school teacher, and Dafroza, a chemist — I was struck by their tenacity and almost blind perseverance in chasing those who were alleged to have been involved in the Rwandan genocide and living on French soil. Without a legal background, the couple were just two ordinary citizens. »
— Antonio Ribeiro

Justice Seekers

One couple hopes to take action against high-profile Rwandan exiles, alleged to have been deeply complicit in crimes.

"The film was an opportunity to document a true battle of David and Goliath, where Alain and Dafroza were fighting for justice in a nation where silence about its role in supporting the regime of President Juvenal Habyarimana has reigned. France is alleged to have played a pivotal role in arming and training the Rwandan army.

Whilst our film focuses mainly on the build-up to the trial of Pascal Simbikangwa, we felt it important to introduce the audience to two other individuals : Wenceslas Munyeshiaka and Agathe Habyarimana. Munyeshiaka is a priest who was in charge of St Famille church in Kigali outside of which many were raped and killed. The French authorities first opened an investigation into his alleged complicity in the genocide in 1995. An indictment against him was issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 2005. Fr Munyeshyaka still works as a priest in a parish in Gisors, Normandy. Agathe Habyarimana, widow of President Juvenal Habyarimana, has lived in France since April 1994, though she had been denied residency papers by the French authorities.

From a historical perspective, the work of the Gauthiers will have far-reaching consequences beyond the pursuit of justice for the victims of the genocide. Their work will contribute to exposing French involvement, both political and military.

Another parallel the film attempts to draw is the juxtaposition between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide — in effect, the two greatest tragedies of the 20th century."
— Antonio Ribeiro

(...)

More : www.aljazeera.com


About the movie

Alain and Dafroza Gauthier have spent over a decade fighting the French legal system to bring to justice the masterminds of the Rwandan Genocide.

They are men and women currently living comfortable lives in France. But for almost twenty years they have been met with state and judicial obstruction as parts of the French authorities attempt to derail a process that would ultimately shed further light on French complicity in the genocide, which claimed the lives of over 800,0000 Tutsis.

The film is not investigative, instead, it is driven by the personal stories of the Gauthiers, as they search and uncover more evidence. It is through their personal account and the trip to Rwanda that the stories of other survivors start to emerge, strengthening our understanding as to why the Gauthiers are so driven in seeking justice for the victims, whilst giving a greater understanding of the effects of the genocide today and how it shapped their lives, hopes and dreams for the future.

Al Jazeera
Programme : Witness
Broadcast date : 9 April 2014

Cinematographer Antonio Ribeiro
Director Antonio Ribeiro
Producer David Alamouti & Golriz Kolahi
Composer Christoph Bauschinger
Sound design David Mackie


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