Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
In Rwanda, 2,000 to 10,000 adults are estimated to have been conceived through rapes that occurred during the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi ethnic group. Despite the country’s many efforts to reckon with the extraordinary pains of its recent past, these individuals, now in their early 30s, often face silence and stigma about their parentage, leaving them to grapple with their difficult truth alone. The Things We Don’t Say captures group counselling sessions led by Émilienne Mukansoro, a psychotherapist and survivor of the genocide, to help these Rwandans navigate their trauma, attempt to mend difficult family relationships, and endeavour to find a hard-earned hope in the process. The London-based filmmaker Ornella Mutoni, whose own family fled Rwanda when she was an infant, documents these stories with the sensitive care they so deserve. Through her skilful filmmaking and the candid bravery of her subjects, Mutoni crafts a powerful portrait of intergenerational trauma, and the difficult yet vital work of trying to heal it.
Director: Ornella Mutoni
Producer: Clair Maleney
Website: Guardian Documentaries
video
Family life
The migrants missing in Mexico, and the mothers who won’t stop searching for them
21 minutes
video
Family life
One family’s harrowing escape from postwar Vietnam, told in a poignant metaphor
10 minutes
video
Technology and the self
Why single Chinese women are freezing their eggs in California
24 minutes
video
Family life
The stream-of-consciousness thoughts and memories that emerge while cooking a meal
5 minutes
video
Family life
The precious family keepsakes that hold meaning for generations
10 minutes
video
Childhood and adolescence
Marmar is living through a devastating war – but she’d rather tell you about her new dress
8 minutes
video
Love and friendship
For two brothers who rely on one another, love is a daily act of devotion
11 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
Flirtation, negotiation and vodka – or how to couple up in 1950s rural Poland
5 minutes
video
Wellbeing
Born in China, Zee seeks a gender-affirming life in the American Midwest
11 minutes