Death, Image, Memory : The Genocide in Rwanda and its Aftermath in Photography and Documentary Film

This book explores how photography and documentary film have participated in the representation of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and its aftermath. This in-depth analysis of professional and amateur photography and the work of Rwandan and international filmmakers offers an insight into not only the unique ability of images to engage with death, memory and the need for evidence, but also their helplessness and inadequacy when confronted with the enormity of the event. Focusing on a range of films and photographs, the book tests notions of truth, evidence, record and witnessing – so often associated with documentary practice – in the specific context of Rwanda and the wider representational framework of African conflict and suffering. Death, Image, Memory is an inquiry into the multiple memorial and evidentiary functions of images that transcends the usual investigations into whether photography and documentary film can reliably attest to the o ccurrence and truth of an event. . Read more... Abstract: This book explores how photography and documentary film have participated in the representation of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and its aftermath. Read more... Death, Image, Memory 3 Acknowledgments 6 Contents 8 Introduction 9 The Irrelevance of Images 9 The Relevance of Images 12 Organization of the Book 15 Genocide 16 History and Context 19 International Involvement 21 The Aftermath 23 Justice and Memory 25 Notes 28 Chapter 1: Image, Evidence, Memory 32 Missing the Story? 32 Images of Genocide 34 Lights, Camera...Camps 35 Genocide as Fiction 37 Documentary and Genocide 41 In Need of Evidence? 44 Death, Trauma and Memory 50 Documentary Film 57 Notes 58 Chapter 2: Images of After: Gilles Peress and Sebastião Salgado 61 Seeing Death 61 Photographing Atrocity: Document, Art, Commodity 63 The Silence 68 Peress’s Corpses 72 Salgado and Migrations 79 The Problem of Beauty 80 Photographing the Camps 83 Permission or Acceptance? 87 Bodies and Machines 88 Conclusion: Latency As An Excuse? 91 Notes 95 Chapter 3: Images of Before: Personal Archives and the Kigali Genocide Memorial 97 Rwanda’s Memorials 97 Politics, History and Commemoration 99 Rwanda’s Bones 100 Kigali Genocide Memorial 102 The Permanent Exhibition 104 The Portraits 105 The Photographs’ Journeys 108 Memorial Contexts and the ‘Museum Effect’ 110 What Remains? 114 Looking and Not Knowing: Two Wedding Photographs 116 Identification 120 Haunted Objects? 122 Conclusion: Familiar Evidence and the Right to Withhold 124 Notes 126 Chapter 4: ‘Who Filmed This?’—Iseta: Behind the Roadblock (2008) 130 From Still to Moving 130 Genocide and the Documentary Archive 131 Filming the Killings 134 Zapruder Film, Pellicule Maudite or Neither? 137 In Search of Meaning 144 Iseta: Behind the Roadblock 145 Taming the Past 148 The Gikondo Footage 151 Concrete Outcomes? 156 Conclusion: The Ethics of Knowing 159 Notes 161 Chapter 5: ‘I Remember Them’—Keepers of Memory (2004) 163 Words Over Images? 163 Film and Survivors 164 A Short History of Post-Genocide Rwandan Film 166 Film and Genocide in Rwanda 173 Rwanda Film Festival and Reception of Genocide Films 176 Testimonial Space 180 Testimonial Burden 182 Looking and Listening 187 Past and Present Speak to Each Other 189 Testimonial Challenges 192 Conclusion: Filmmaker as Witness? 194 Notes 197 Conclusion: In Defence of Images? 198 Bibliography 203 Filmography 218 Interviews 219 Websites 220 Index 221 "Death, Image, Memory"--"Acknowledgments" -- "Contents" -- " Introduction" -- "The Irrelevance of Images" -- "The Relevance of Images" -- "Organization of the Book" -- "Genocide" -- "History and Context" -- "International Involvement" -- "The Aftermath" -- "Justice and Memory" -- "Notes" -- " Chapter 1: Image, Evidence, Memory" -- "Missing the Story?" -- "Images of Genocide" -- "Lights, Cameraâ#x80;ŒCamps" -- "Genocide as Fiction" -- "Documentary and Genocide" -- "In Need of Evidence?" -- "Death, Trauma and Memory" -- "Documentary Film" -- "Notes" -- " Chapter 2: Images of After: Gilles Peress and Sebastião Salgado" -- "Seeing Death" -- "Photographing Atrocity: Document, Art, Commodity" -- "The Silence" -- "Peressâ#x80;#x99;s Corpses" -- "Salgado and Migrations" -- "The Problem of Beauty" -- "Photographing the Camps" -- "Permission or Acceptance?" -- "Bodies and Machines" -- "Conclusion: Latency As An Excuse?" -- "Notes" -- " Chapter 3: Images of Before: Personal Archives and the Kigali Genocide Memorial" -- "Rwandaâ#x80;#x99;s Memorials" -- "Politics, History and Commemoration" -- "Rwandaâ#x80;#x99;s Bones" -- "Kigali Genocide Memorial" -- "The Permanent Exhibition" -- "The Portraits" -- "The Photographsâ#x80;#x99; Journeys" -- "Memorial Contexts and the â#x80;#x98;Museum Effectâ#x80;#x99;" -- "What Remains?" -- "Looking and Not Knowing: Two Wedding Photographs" -- "Identification" -- "Haunted Objects?" -- "Conclusion: Familiar Evidence and the Right to Withhold" -- "Notes" -- " Chapter 4: â#x80;#x98;Who Filmed This?â#x80;#x99;â#x80;#x94;Iseta: Behind the Roadblock (2008)" -- "From Still to Moving" -- "Genocide and the Documentary Archive" -- "Filming the Killings" -- "Zapruder Film, Pellicule Maudite or Neither?" -- "In Search of Meaning" -- "Iseta: Behind the Roadblock" -- "Taming the Past" -- "The Gikondo Footage" -- "Concrete Outcomes?" -- "Conclusion: The Ethics of Knowing" -- "Notes." This book explores how photography and documentary film have participated in the representation of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and its aftermath. This in-depth analysis of professional and amateur photography and the work of Rwandan and international filmmakers offers an insight into not only the unique ability of images to engage with death, memory and the need for evidence, but also their helplessness and inadequacy when confronted with the enormity of the event. Focusing on a range of films and photographs, the book tests notions of truth, evidence, record and witnessing 2013 so often associated with documentary practice 2013 in the specific context of Rwanda and the wider representational framework of African conflict and suffering. Death, Image, Memory is an inquiry into the multiple memorial and evidentiary functions of images that transcends the usual investigations into whether photography and documentary film can reliably attest to the o ccurrence and truth of an event Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Introduction (Piotr Cieplak)....Pages 1-23 Chapter 1: Image, Evidence, Memory (Piotr Cieplak)....Pages 25-53 Chapter 2: Images of After: Gilles Peress and Sebastião Salgado (Piotr Cieplak)....Pages 55-90 Chapter 3: Images of Before: Personal Archives and the Kigali Genocide Memorial (Piotr Cieplak)....Pages 91-123 Chapter 4: ‘Who Filmed This?’—Iseta: Behind the Roadblock (2008) (Piotr Cieplak)....Pages 125-157 Chapter 5: ‘I Remember Them’—Keepers of Memory (2004) (Piotr Cieplak)....Pages 159-193 Conclusion: In Defence of Images? (Piotr Cieplak)....Pages 195-199 Back Matter ....Pages 201-230 This Book Explores How Photography And Documentary Film Have Participated In The Representation Of The 1994 Genocide In Rwanda And Its Aftermath.-- Machine Generated Contents Note: Ch. 1 Image, Evidence, Memory -- Ch. 2 Images Of After: Gilles Peress And Sebastiao Salgado -- Ch. 3 Images Of Before: Personal Archives And The Kigali Genocide Memorial -- Ch. 4 `who Filmed This?' -- Iseta: Behind The Roadblock (2008) -- Ch. 5 `i Remember Them' -- Keepers Of Memory (2004). Piotr Cieplak. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 201-218) And Index.