Cora Cora marks a departure from the more usual topic of the country’s civil strife.
Written and directed by Richard Mugwaneza and produced by Tresor Senga under
the Almond Tree Films banner, Cora Cora chronicles rampant drug trafficking between
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Says Mugwaneza: “A new concept where producers pit their skills together has
emerged – the Rwandan Eagles Group is a producers’ group currently staking a claim
in the local film sector. We managed to put together a budget of $30 000 for Cora
Cora, our first production.’
He notes that the film’s leading characters had never acted on film before but their
talent ensured a production of international standard.
Producer Senga adds: “I believe the film will strike a chord with many different
audiences as it is exceptional with some great visuals that are accompanied by an
awesome soundtrack.’
Shot in the city of Rubavu (Western Province of Rwanda) and in Goma (DRC), the
film’s locations are the borders of the two countries, schools and homes.
According to Mugwaneza, the film addresses the destructive nature of escalating
drug consumption in a region known for disregard for the rule of law.
“The drug trafficking on the borders is becoming like a business for many who live
there,’ he states.
In Rwanda the city of Rubavu is the most susceptible to the influence of drug
traffickers as many young people – students in high schools and even at primary
school level – are big consumers of drugs.
“A fair number of young people are lured into the illegal trade and this film is a
fictional account of a student who finds himself in the thick of it all. The DRC
government seems like it doesn’t care about this issue and the film is intended to
wake them up to the problem,’ says Mugwaneza.
One of Rwanda’s youngest directors, Mugwaneza thinks Cora Cora will have a
positive impact on local audiences with its strong message that drugs are dangerous
for society. To this end the film demonstrates the health implications of drug
consumption and the criminal consequences of trafficking. He stresses that Rwanda
is making “big investments’ into anti-drug campaigns for the youth.
Despite this being Mugwaneza’s third directorial project, production of the film wasn’t
without its challenges. The first complex issue was to convince the producer to
invest in the film as he initially doubted it could make money in Rwanda.
Secondly, dealing with first-time actors on set was a huge test. “The casting and
rehearsals were hard to manage but thanks to my cinematographer and producer
things worked out all right. It was great team work all round and in the end we came
up with different characters to match my script,’ he says.
The final challenge was changing some of the locations for more robust venues
during the shoot.
Cora Cora was shot in full high definition (HD) on the SONY EX1 camera and edited
on a Final Cut Pro 7 suite.
Post-production was completed in February with the trailer released at the end of
March.
By Martin Chemhere
Screen Africa magazine – May 2012
