MK2 Boards Ground-Breaking Rwandan Cannes-Selected Film ‘Ben’Imana’

EXCLUSIVE: Mk2 Films has boarded sales on Rwandan filmmaker Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s post-genocide drama Ben’Imana ahead of its world premiere in Cannes Un Certain Regard in May.

The film makes history as the first feature by a Rwandan director to be selected for Cannes Official Selection.

Set in Rwanda in 2012, Ben’Imana follows Vénéranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, who is deeply involved in community-led processes of justice and reconciliation.

As she navigates mounting pressure in her work, a personal crisis within her own family forces her to confront the limits of her convictions. Centred on intimate portraits of women rebuilding their lives, the film follows individuals shaping a future in the shadow of a shared past.

“The confidence of Marie-Clémentine’s gaze, and her ability to hold complexity without ever reducing it marks the arrival of a filmmaker with vision and heart.” said mk2 Films’ Head of Acquisitions Emmanuel Pisarra.

“Rather than revisiting the past, Ben’Imana captures how history continues to live in the present, through women finding ways to rebuild and move forward. This is a deeply resonant work, with an undeniable emotional reach.”

A decade in the making, Ben’Imana is an African majority co-production, with a cast composed almost entirely of non-professional actors. 

It is produced by Ejo Cine.Ltd (Rwanda), Princesse M Prod (Gabon) in coproduction with Les Films du Bilboquet (France) and Duo Film (Norway).

Dusabejambo and producer Samantha Biffot first attended Cannes in 2022, where they presented the project at La Fabrique Cinéma.

The director previously explored the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide in short film Lyiza which played at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Paris-based mk2 Films will also be in Cannes this year with Official Competition titles Marie Kreutzer’s Gentle Monster, Léa Mysius’ The Birthday Party, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur, Ira Sachs’ The Man I Love, and Koji Fukada’s Nagi Notes.