I came across this post in Shelf Awareness for Readers by –Naomi Benaron, author of Running the Rift (Algonquin, January 17, 2012) who writes about the power of art to heal.
Recently, I attended a genocide conference that included a film called Beyond the Deadly Pit, produced and directed by Rwandan genocide survivor Gilbert Ndahayo. It documents confronting his father’s killer during gacaca, the traditional court used to try “lesser” perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.
Ndahayo said, “If one wants to be healed from the sickness, he must talk about it to the world.
For 12 years, I lived with the remains of about 200 unpeaceful dead in my parents’ backyard.”
I found the film so profoundly moving that I could not rise from my chair. Even now, writing this, I cannot prevent the tears.
During the post-film q&a, I asked Ndahayo if making the film had facilitated healing. He said simply, “No.”
And yet, he made the film, and he continues to make films. Why? Why does anyone who has lived through unspeakable horrors decide to shape these events into art? Why do those of us who have not lived them still feel compelled to give them voice?
Perhaps the answer is that it is not a choice; it feels as necessary as drawing breath or putting one foot in front of the other.
To find out how artistic expression provided nourishment, strength and hope, read the rest of the article here>>
