A powerful new short film, The Things We Don’t Say, by Ornella Mutoni is now streaming on the Guardian. Ornella writes about her own experience, and the making of the film, in an accompanying article, where she notes:
“It follows 29-year-old Thierry, who was born from rape and struggled with his identity – but wants to heal his relationship with his mother. The horror she endured during the genocide and the loss of her family meant she struggled to bond with him. He in turn never felt her love growing up. In the film, they talk openly about difficult childhood memories of her taking her anger out on him, her hope that one day she’ll be able to apologise for it all – and that one day he will call her mum. The fact that he hasn’t been able to breaks her heart. Thierry says he took part in the film as a way to advocate for others facing similar trauma from their birth circumstances.”
She concludes by commenting:
“There is so much to learn from a country that has had to rebuild itself from the ground up and ensure survivors and perpetrators can live – sometimes uneasily but peacefully – side by side. While The Things We Don’t Say is just a glimpse of one group of young people wrestling with their past and present, I hope the film sheds light on the lives of those born during this dark chapter and highlights the ongoing work needed to break the cycle of intergenerational pain caused by mass violence.”
The film is powerful viewing, and can be streamed free online here.