It is 1994. Anna- a Polish ornithologist who is in Africa to study the decline of the vulture population in Rwanda - witnesses the horrifying violent incident. Rwanda’s Hutu majority has unleashed genocide against the smaller population of Tutsis. When the genocide begins, Anna rescues a young Tutsi girl - Claudine. Taking her along, Anna escapes to Poland. Both women are struggling to shake off the trauma of the events they had experienced and, go on with the routine life. However, it’s difficult for both of them to be normal. One day, after a few years, Claudine decides to return to her homeland. Helpless in her efforts to stop her, Anna decides to accompany Claudine. Everywhere she goes, Claudine comes up against the survivors’ attempts to come to terms with what they have lost. Although in 1996 power is in the hands of the Tutsis, the peace is fragile, and the near universal poverty aids the forces of evil. This is an extremely emotional journey to the heart of Africa.
Director biography
Krzysztof Krauze & Joanna Kos-Krauze, a writer-director duo of husband and wife have worked on some remarkable Polish films of recent times. Their films include My Nikifor (Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary in 2004), Plac Zbawiciela /Saviour square. In 2013, they completed work on a biopic about the Romani poet, Papusza. They started working on Birds Are Singing In Kagali few years ago. After sad demise of Krzysztof in 2014, Joanna finished the film alone by 2017.
Director : Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze
Producer : Joanna Kos-Krauze
Cast : Jowita Budnik, Eliane Umuhire , Witold Wieliński
Screenplay : Joanna Kos-Krauze , Krzysztof Krauze
Cinematographer : Jozefina Gocman, Wojciech Staron, Krzysztof Ptak
Editor : Katarzyna Lesniak
Costume Designer : Agnieszka Zawadowska
Music : Beata Shyaka, Pawel Szymanski
Production designer : Krzysztof Benedek, Andrzej Kowalewski, Claudine Murenzi, Miroslaw Naslawski, Agnieszka Zawadowska
Production Company : Kosfilm
Festivals
Chicago International Film Festival 2017
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2017
Polish Film Festival 2017
Haifa International Film Festival 2017
Hamburg Film Festival 2017
T-Mobile New Horizons International Film Festival, Poland 2017
Director Filmography
Krzysztof Krauze
Dług
Wielkierzeczy
Papusza
Saviour Square
Mój Nikifor
Joanna Kos-Krauze
Papusza
Saviour Square
Mój Nikifor
Original title : Ptaki spiewaja w Kigali
English title : Birds are singing in Kigali
Country : Poland
Language : Polish | English | Kinyarwanda
Year : 2017
Runtime : 113 min
Colour