University news

A documentary short film, Why We Dance, has secured three film awards for its portrayal of a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Directed by Scotland-based filmmaker Marc Ellison, the film tells the story of Jerome Irankunda, a young survivor of the genocide as he shared his experiences with graphic artist Michel Kichka.

The film emerges from the  ‘Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives’ project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and spearheaded by Professors Charlotte Schallié and Andrea Webb at the Universities of Victoria and British Columbia in Canada. Dr Erin Jessee, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Glasgow and Dr Fransiska Louwagie, Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies at the University of Aberdeen, are co-leading its Rwanda Research Cluster.

As of May 2026, film has received the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Toronto/Los Angeles Documentary Feature and Short Film Festival, the Award of Excellence in the Documentary Short category at the IndieFEST Film Awards, and the Best Documentary Short by the World Indie Film Awards.

 

Jerome Irankunda said: "From the moment I was introduced to this project by Erin, Fransiska, Marc, and Michel, I felt a deep sense of excitement and readiness to finally share my story. For many years, I had longed for a safe and meaningful platform where I could tell my story comfortably—and this project became that long-awaited opportunity.

"As I’ve learned that Why We Dance has won and continues to win awards, I have been deeply surprised and positively moved. This recognition signifies that our story is reaching audiences across the world, creating awareness and understanding. It is my hope that this achievement will inspire other survivors to overcome fear and find the courage to share their own stories.

"I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this journey possible."

Marc Ellison said: “Jerome and I have known each other as friends and colleagues for years, so it means a great deal to me to see that Jerome’s story, and his remarkable resilience in the face of such horrific violence, is resonating with juries and public audiences internationally. It is an incredible privilege to be entrusted with helping to tell his story.”

The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda stands as a stark marker of mass violence in recent history. This project seeks to deepen understanding of this genocide by using a survivor-centred methodology: pairing survivors with graphic novel artists and researchers to co-create a series of visual narratives and short documentaries that teachers can use to educate their students about the Rwandan genocide and the need to prevent genocides internationally.

Why We Dance, is a deeply personal reflection by Jerome, who was six years old when Hutu Power extremists incited a genocide against the Tutsi minority in Rwanda. Jerome’s family took shelter in Kibeho church in southern Rwanda before it was attacked, prompting him to flee to Burundi with his uncle. They survived for months in the precarious conditions of a refugee camp before returning to Rwanda. Jerome never saw his parents again.

Over the years, Jerome has become a community leader and educator helping Rwanda’s many child survivors navigate their passage into adulthood. He is now also raising his own family.

In the film, filmmaker Marc Ellison captures the relationship that developed between Jerome and graphic novelist Michel Kichka - himself a second‑generation Holocaust survivor - during the interviews for a forthcoming graphic novel about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, under contract with University of Toronto Press.

Erin Jessee and Fransiska Louwagie said: “We are delighted with this recognition for the short documentary produced by Marc in collaboration with Jerome and Michel. The short film documents the relational process which underpins our work with survivors, and will support our efforts to engage young people as they build an understanding of the genocide and its impacts”.

The film forms part of the wider Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives project, which works with survivors of genocide and related mass atrocities around the world, using arts-based methods to support storytelling, remembrance, and education.

Professor Charlotte Schallié said: “The film’s recent international recognition reflects the SCVN project’s deeply community-engaged process grounded in care, trust, and long-term relationship building with survivors. As the filmmaker Marc approached the work with a trauma-informed practice that prioritized the survivor’s agency, wellbeing, and voice at every stage of the storytelling process. We are grateful for these awards as they honour the team’s work and reaffirm the importance of continuing to share survivor narratives.”

 

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Why We Dance

The trailer for Why We Dance is available online, along with a recording of audience responses from the Toronto/Los Angeles Film Festival.

The film received its first public screening in Kigali on 17 April 2026 as part of this year’s Kwibuka commemoration, marking 32 years since the genocide against the Tutsi.

As of May 2026, film has received the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Toronto/Los Angeles Documentary Feature and Short Film Festival, the Award of Excellence in the Documentary Short category at the IndieFEST Film Awards, and the Best Documentary Short by the World Indie Film Awards. 

 

Learn more about Survivor-Centre Visual Narratives

Learn more about Jerome and Michel’s collaboration for the graphic novel, forthcoming in 2027 with University of Toronto Press, here: https://visualnarratives.org/research-clusters/rwanda/jerome/.

Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives: https://visualnarratives.org/

https://www.instagram.com/survivorvisualnarratives/

First published: 9 June 2026