Rwanda: The Untold Story is a 2014 documentary film by the British Broadcasting Corporation that was broadcast on BBC2 at prime-time on 1 October 2014.[1][2]
Synopsis
editThe documentary follows two American academics, Allan Stam and Christian Davenport, who had travelled to Rwanda in 1998 to listen to alleged witnesses of the genocide. It also featured former close associates of Kagame who spoke from hiding abroad.[3]
According to the BBC, the documentary questioned the role of Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front forces in during the genocide and his role in the shooting down the presidential plane that sparked the genocide while claiming to have ended it.[4][5]
The documentary alleged that instead of 800,000 Tutsi deaths, there were only around 200,000. It further posited that at least 800,000 Hutus had been killed at the hands of the Rwandese Patriotic Front.[6]
Critical reception
editFollowing the outrage by Rwandans, which included a march to the local BBC office and Nyanza Genocide Memorial Centre,[7] Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority suspended the broadcast of local-language BBC programs.[8][9]
The Rwandan Parliament decided to charge BBC with "genocide denial"[10][11] and an inquiry advised Rwanda to take criminal action against the BBC.[12] The BBC insisted it was their duty to make the documentary.[13]
References
edit- ^ Jolis, Anne (2010-02-26). "Anne Jolis: Rwanda's Genocide: The Untold Story". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "Controversy Over BBC's 'Rwanda: The Untold Story'". HuffPost. 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "Rwanda govt suspends BBC broadcasts over genocide film". Monitor. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "BBC Two - This World, Rwanda's Untold Story". BBC. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ ""Rwanda: The Untold Story": questions for the BBC". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ ""Rwanda: The Untold Story": questions for the BBC". The New Times | Rwanda. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "Rwanda's students in protest over BBC report". Nation. 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "Rwanda Suspends BBC Broadcasts Over Documentary". VOA. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "Rwanda suspends BBC broadcasts over genocide film". New Vision. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "Controversy Over BBC's 'Rwanda: The Untold Story'". HuffPost. 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "Rwanda govt suspends BBC broadcasts over genocide film". Monitor. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "BBC should face criminal action over Rwanda documentary, says inquiry". the Guardian. 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ "BBC: we had a 'duty' to make Rwandan genocide documentary". the Guardian. 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2022-08-04.