In My Neighbor, My Killer, filmmaker Anne Aghion chronicles Rwanda's Gacaca process, a series of grass roots trials held in the aftermath of the murderous 100-day-long rampage during which militant ethnic Hutus took the lives of 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus throughout Rwanda in 1994. 

Gacaca, which literally means "justice on the grass," is a form of open air, citizen-based justice which the Rwandan government created and put in place in an attempt to deal with the crimes of the 1994 genocide, and to allow the Rwandan people to reunite so they and the nation could move forward.

 Some two million Gacaca trials were held in over 10,000 locales across the country.

Aghion spent a decade filming the Gacaca trials held in the remote rural community of Gafumba, which had been a focal location during the genocide. Neighbors murdered neighbors. Many of the Hutu killers even took the lives of Tutsis to whom they were related by marriage. Hence the film's title.

With her quietly unobtrusive filmmaking style, Aghion's observational recording of eyewitness testimonials at the Gacaca establishes the horrific realities of the genocide and serve as clear and powerful representations of the actual acts of killing. Additionally, Aghion follows several eyewitnesses into their homes, where they tell her -- and us -- their personal stories in such a forthright and intimate way that depict for us the heinous slaughter much more effectively than reenactments could do. 

My Neighbor, My Killer makes it evident that in the aftermath of the genocide everyone who remains in or returns to post-genocide Gafumba realizes that they must find a way to coexist, so their town -- and their nation -- can be restored and can continue to function in the future.

The government-mandated Gacaca process gives survivors the opportunity to confront perpetrators with eyewitness accounts of their heinous deeds and to accuse individuals of specific crimes. Some perpetrators admit their guilt, others deny their participation. The punishments vary depending upon the severity of the crime, but the emphasis is always on rebuilding the community, on doing what will best serve that goal.

Through the Gacaca process, the entire community expresses its fear and anger, its inconsolable sadness, and its hope for life renewed. With her extraordinary  verite chronicling of the bereft community's emotionally laden journey to coexistence, Aghion assures that the stories of what happened will be remembered. The eyewitness accounts of the genocide and the well-articulated personal stories presented in Aghion's documentary cannot be denied, can never be swept under the rug. This is history that cannot be rewritten  -- sanitized, if you will -- at a later date.

Because of My Neighbor, My Killer, whatever citizens said and decided at the Gafumba's Gacaca trials will stand as the record. That alone has given the documentary tremendous impact on the community and its recovery process.

Since its premier in 2009, My Neighbor, My Killer has been screened in Rwanda's capital of Kigali and in Gafumba, as well as other parts of the country. In allowing Rwandans -- Tutsis and Hutus -- to reflect on the necessity to rebuild community through the Gacaca process and what that process really means to themselves, their neighbors, their community and the nation, the film has influenced on their vision of the future.

That My Neighbor, My Killer is shown to commemorate the official anniversary of the genocide each year is an indication of its importance and impact,. For the 20th anniversary of the genocide, a week of national mourning beginning on April 7, 2014, the documentary will be accessible worldwide for a full 30 days by streaming on MUBI.

At the dawn of the 20th anniversary of the genocide, there is still controversy about exactly where to lay the historical blame for the genocide. At the deepest level, the crimes of genocide may not be entirely forgiven and the remaining political controversies about it may never be resolved, but My Neighbor, My Killer serves as a reminder that it's crucial for the nation to continue to move forward on its path to recovery and peaceful, productive coexistence.

Furthermore, via screenings at important international venues and events, including influential film festivals such as Cannes, AFI Silverdocs, and Human Rights Watch Film Festival, among others, My Neighbor, My Killer brings awareness of the socially and politically experimental Gacaca process to audiences around the world, including those who have the power to create or influence public policy and those in countries that have suffered genocide and are struggling with an intensely difficult and necessary process of reconciliation -- or haven't yet reached that threshold of peaceful coexistence. Everywhere the film screens, it stimulates constructive thinking and productive discussion.

Anne Aghion continues to monitor the situation in Rwanda. In partnership with Assumpta Mugiraneza, she is establishing the IRIBA Center for Multimedia Heritage. Partly inspired by Rithy Panh's Bophana Center in Cambodia, IRIBA will gather and make accessible to all Rwandans the audiovisual history of their country. Last year, the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA), acquired all of Aghion's Rwanda footage (350 hours!), and has digitized it, and is making it accessible through the INA Website. A copy of INA's archive of Aghion's footage will be presented to the IRIBA Center, so it will be accessible to Rwandans. 

With its positive impact in Rwanda and around the world, and with projects like the IRIBA Center growing out of it, My Neighbor, My Killer and filmmaker Anne Aghion set standards for genocide documentaries. For both its historic importance and its cinematic excellence, this documentary is a must see. Read my full review of the film.

My Neighbor, My Killer and other meritorious genocide documentaries have the potential to change the course of human history for the better.  Watch them and learn!

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Film Festivals of Interest to Documentary Watchers:

• Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
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