Father's Day. 2022. Rwanda. Directed by Kivu Ruhorahoza. In Kinyarwanda; English subtitles. 108 min.
Expertly weaving three seemingly disparate stories set in and around the city of Kigali, Rwandan filmmaker Kivu Ruhorahoza has constructed a rich, poignant story of loss and the various meanings of parentage. Zaninka (Médiatrice Kayitesi), a masseuse barely making ends meet in the COVID economy, is emotionally devastated by the accidental death of her teenage son, and her grief has begun to affect her marriage; Mukobwa (Aline Amike), caring for her ailing father, is conflicted over whether she should become an organ donor to save his life; and Karara (Yves Kijyana) is a small-time criminal who drags his impressionable young son into his increasingly violent schemes. Told with crystalline precision and escalating emotional intensity, Father’s Day is a tough, humane inquiry into the ostensibly sacred bonds that form contemporary patriarchal culture.