RISING FROM ASHES
***
Director: T.C. Johnstone
Principal cast:
Forest Whitaker
Gregg Helvey
Jonathan ‘Jock’ Boyer
Tom Ritchey
Adrien Niyonshuti
Team Rwanda
Country: USA/Rwanda/UK/South Africa
Classification: M
Runtime: 82 mins.
Australian release date: 19 June 2014
In 1994, Rwanda was ripped apart by 100 days of civil war resulting in almost a million deaths during an act of ‘ethnic cleansing’ between warring Tutsi and Hutu clans. Many thousands survived by escaping the genocide on their bicycles. Now, T. C. Johnstone’s documentary, Rising from Ashes, the result of six years labour, has successfully brought a remarkable, good news story to light from the cinders of that country which is also known as ‘The Land of the Thousand Hills.’ It’s a land where, to this day, the bicycle is the main means of transport and is used to carry not only people, but also goods from one place to another. The bicycle is viewed as a symbol for hope and this is the main message throughout this very special documentary.
In 2005, Tom Ritchey (the inventor of the mountain bike, no less) decided to found Team Rwanda from a stable of local Rwandan cyclists and train them so they would become eligible for the 2012 Olympics. He brought in the cycling legend and bad boy Jock Boyer, the first American to ride in the Tour de France, to coach his team of survivors. The team was led by Adrien Niyonshuti, who went on to become Rwanda’s first Olympic cyclist, and who had lost 60 family members during the genocide. The other team members came from both sides of the warring factions and the idea was to break down the past and rise up, from the ashes, into a brighter future, a future that gave the men hope and a sense of security.
The documentary was 100% donor funded, developed by the Gratis 7 Media Group and Project Rwanda (formed by Ritchey, Boyer and one of the co-producers of the film, Dan Cooper), and now known as The Rising Ashes Foundation. The team members were offered a modest salary, given English lessons, taught to read and write, provided with healthcare and, to top it off, were given the responsibility of becoming ambassadors for their country. The team also started to look out for one another, in keeping with the foundation’s charter. Narrated by Forest Whitaker, himself a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation, the story is nicely paced and accompanied by a jaunty Afro-pop soundtrack. Like Boyer (who had to look on a world map to discover where Rwanda was and to learn about its recent dark history), you will be moved by this piece of history. As the filmmakers have stated, “Rising from Ashes was created with a common goal, to tell a story of redemption, hope, and second chances. It was not about the bike; however, the bicycle became a tool that has changed a nation.” The documentary reminds us that in facing adversity, humans can come together and make up for the mistakes of the past - for where there is compassion, there is hope.
Principal cast:
Forest Whitaker
Gregg Helvey
Jonathan ‘Jock’ Boyer
Tom Ritchey
Adrien Niyonshuti
Team Rwanda
Country: USA/Rwanda/UK/South Africa
Classification: M
Runtime: 82 mins.
Australian release date: 19 June 2014
In 1994, Rwanda was ripped apart by 100 days of civil war resulting in almost a million deaths during an act of ‘ethnic cleansing’ between warring Tutsi and Hutu clans. Many thousands survived by escaping the genocide on their bicycles. Now, T. C. Johnstone’s documentary, Rising from Ashes, the result of six years labour, has successfully brought a remarkable, good news story to light from the cinders of that country which is also known as ‘The Land of the Thousand Hills.’ It’s a land where, to this day, the bicycle is the main means of transport and is used to carry not only people, but also goods from one place to another. The bicycle is viewed as a symbol for hope and this is the main message throughout this very special documentary.
In 2005, Tom Ritchey (the inventor of the mountain bike, no less) decided to found Team Rwanda from a stable of local Rwandan cyclists and train them so they would become eligible for the 2012 Olympics. He brought in the cycling legend and bad boy Jock Boyer, the first American to ride in the Tour de France, to coach his team of survivors. The team was led by Adrien Niyonshuti, who went on to become Rwanda’s first Olympic cyclist, and who had lost 60 family members during the genocide. The other team members came from both sides of the warring factions and the idea was to break down the past and rise up, from the ashes, into a brighter future, a future that gave the men hope and a sense of security.
The documentary was 100% donor funded, developed by the Gratis 7 Media Group and Project Rwanda (formed by Ritchey, Boyer and one of the co-producers of the film, Dan Cooper), and now known as The Rising Ashes Foundation. The team members were offered a modest salary, given English lessons, taught to read and write, provided with healthcare and, to top it off, were given the responsibility of becoming ambassadors for their country. The team also started to look out for one another, in keeping with the foundation’s charter. Narrated by Forest Whitaker, himself a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation, the story is nicely paced and accompanied by a jaunty Afro-pop soundtrack. Like Boyer (who had to look on a world map to discover where Rwanda was and to learn about its recent dark history), you will be moved by this piece of history. As the filmmakers have stated, “Rising from Ashes was created with a common goal, to tell a story of redemption, hope, and second chances. It was not about the bike; however, the bicycle became a tool that has changed a nation.” The documentary reminds us that in facing adversity, humans can come together and make up for the mistakes of the past - for where there is compassion, there is hope.