There are two very different truths uncovered in Earth Made of Glass, the new documentary from director Deborah Scranton and producer Reid Carolin that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. First there is the horrifying, and largely under-reported, fact that France helped build the situation in Rwanda that led to the 1994 genocide, and even worse, provided arms and funds to the killers themselves. The second truth is a much more personal one, as Rwandan genocide survivor Jean-Pierre Sagahutu travels around his family's old neighborhood to learn who was responsible for murdering his father, both as a way to recover and a way to help his young son understand the meaning of the genocide, now long in the past.
Scranton and Carolin were first inspired to make the film after Scranton had a chance encounter with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has worked mightily, and successfully, both to help his country more forward and to force France to acknowledge their role in the genocide. Sagahutu's part of the story came by chance, as the filmmakers met him when they arrived in the country and found themselves in the middle of his fascinating and harrowing story. Last week I talked to Scranton and Carolin about their experience making the film, the extent to which the Western media misunderstands and blatantly ignores many truths about modern Rwanda, and how they encourage everyday people to learn more about a country that, as Earth Made of Glass proves over and over, is far more than what most of us realize.
Take a look at the edited version of our conversation below, and read my review of the film here.
