From Arusha to Arusha focuses on the Rwandan tragedy
in order to examine the functioning of the international justice system. It
examines both the activities of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
(ICTR), which is prosecuting those responsible for the genocide, as well as
those of the gacaca courts, the people’s tribunals, which are working
towards justice through reconciliation.
By juxtaposing archival audiovisual footage of an international court
enacting justice behind closed doors, with images and testimony gathered in
the field, the film presents conflicting points of view and invites the
Rwandan people to re-appropriate their own history.
Christophe Gargot has his roots in the rich documentary tradition of
such filmmakers as Raymond Depardon, people who are interested in focussing on
the rituals of large institutions. This film examines the issue of universal
moral values in action while at the same time questioning our relationship
with the images we take in and our responsibilities as world citizens.
From Arusha to Arusha, Christophe Gargot, provided by the National Film Board of Canada