Film & Stage
Distinguished
Joel Karekezi
born 1980
Won the Golden Stallion at FESPACO, African cinema's highest prize
Distinguished is level 3 of 4 in the Rwanda Hall of Fame: sustained excellence over a career, widely honoured at home. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
His film The Mercy of the Jungle took the Étalon d'or de Yennenga at FESPACO in 2019 — the top award in African cinema, and the first time a Rwandan had won it.
Joel Karekezi lost his father in the genocide and taught himself filmmaking largely online before making Imbabazi: The Pardon, about two childhood friends divided by 1994.
The Mercy of the Jungle, released in 2018, follows two Rwandan soldiers lost in the Congolese forest during the Second Congo War, and is among the few African films to look directly at that war from the inside. It won the Étalon d'or de Yennenga at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou in 2019, the most prestigious prize in African cinema, along with the award for best actor.
The Mercy of the Jungle, released in 2018, follows two Rwandan soldiers lost in the Congolese forest during the Second Congo War, and is among the few African films to look directly at that war from the inside. It won the Étalon d'or de Yennenga at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou in 2019, the most prestigious prize in African cinema, along with the award for best actor.
- Wikipedia — Joel Karekezi
- France 24 — Rwandan film 'The Mercy of the Jungle' wins top prize at FESPACO
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