There are few films these days that make it into the category of true "must see" films. While I had knowledge of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the tragedies and horrific crimes against humanity committed felt very far away and disconnected from my own life. Trees of Peace gives the viewer a personal perspective of what it's like to live and die in a hell that the majority of us will never have to face.
The audience benefits from the well thought decisions made by the Director. Each scene is craftily curated, and preplanned to the point that one feels that they are experiencing the film alongside the characters as opposed to only observing it. These characters that we sit beside are fully formed people with real dialog, who we can all relate to in some capacity, and because of this it is easy to remain engaged in the story happening all around us.
The cast members are lost in the characters. We never see actors, but instead they disappear into their God given talent and skill in front of the camera and we as the audience only believe we are watching life itself, and not art imitating it.
I believe Trees of Peace gives another voice to people in the global conversation of freedom and equality that may have been overlooked, and I applaud the efforts and sacrifices of the Producer to present this gift to the world.
This piece of cinema uses a news story to remind us all of how fragile our lives are and it teaches us how we can behave and how we can relate to one another, regardless of our background.
