Almond Tree Films of Rwanda has produced a 17-minute film called Nota Bene, which is due for release shortly. Another short film, Mama, will be completed later this year.
Nota Bene is written and directed by Richard Mugwaneza, who participated in this year’s Talent Campus Durban. The film is produced by Almond Tree Films MD Jean John Kwezi.
Shot in the Eastern Province of Rwanda and Kigali, Nota Bene is a story about people migrating from rural to urban towns and the challenges this poses to Rwanda’s fledgling economy.
The lead character, Dirty Boy, lives a peaceful and good life in a small village, but his heart has always desired to taste the city’s bright lights. While in a bus on his way to the city, Dirty Boy finds a notice, which bears the headline, Nota Bene. Contrasting the city’s allure with the laid back, authentic style of village life, the film traces Dirty Boy as a he tries to please himself rather than listen to advice.
Nota Bene features Rwanda’s two leading actors, Rodrigues Cyuzuzo and Jean Pierre Harerimana. Cyuzuzo acted in Lyiza (2010) by Marie Clementine Dusabejambo, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Harerimana acted in Munyurangabo (2006) by Lee Isaac Chung, which premiered at he 2007 Cannes Film Festiva. Lyiza and Munyurangabo are produced by Almond Tree Films, whose list of productions in the past few years include shorts like Where Is The Truth (2007), Long Coat (2009) and Maibobo (2009).
