Father’s Day

Three family stories intersect in present-day Rwanda. A mother trying to cope with the loss of her son who died in an accident gradually distances herself from her husband; a small-time criminal living as a thief and a fence introduces his son to a life of living by his wits; and a young woman taking care of the ailing father she never truly loved prepares for the organ donation that could save his life.

After the hybrid work Europa: Based on a True Story, Kivu Ruhorahoza’s third feature film articulates with surprising ease the lexicon of the best literary and cinematic minimalism. The universal stories of the traumas and bonds of parents and children may be common, but choosing them amongst thousands of similar tales and bringing them to the screen with such care makes them extraordinary. Besides the meticulous writing, the impact of this work is achieved via cinematic means. The camera’s exceptional sensitivity to facial expressions and performance, and the colours of locations, clothes and objects for once not rendered in hyperreal fashion, create a density of expression in which we can immerse our gaze and get even closer to the characters.