Sometimes in April

TV Movie
2005
TV-MA
2h 20m

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

5.8K

YOUR RATING

Drama History War

When the Hutu nationalists raised arms against their Tutsi countrymen in Rwanda in April 1994, the violent uprising marked the beginning of one of the darkest times in African history which ... Read allWhen the Hutu nationalists raised arms against their Tutsi countrymen in Rwanda in April 1994, the violent uprising marked the beginning of one of the darkest times in African history which resulted in the deaths of almost 800,000 people.When the Hutu nationalists raised arms against their Tutsi countrymen in Rwanda in April 1994, the violent uprising marked the beginning of one of the darkest times in African history which resulted in the deaths of almost 800,000 people.

See production, box office & company info

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

5.8K

YOUR RATING

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 3 wins & 14 nominations total

Trivia
Based on the actual 1994 Rwanda genocide

Goofs
Depictions of U.S. military personnel are highly inaccurate, including the Marine officer wearing Army combat badges (and in the wrong location), as well as a Navy officer in a full beard and mustache.

Quotes
Augustin: [Over the telephone] Anne-Marie, can you hear me?
Anne-Marie: Yes, how are you Papa?
Augustin: [Hesitant] I'm fine.
Anne-Marie: And Mama...?
Augustin: She's fine. She's next door with your brothers. fine.
Anne-Marie: I'm scared...!
[the sounds of gunfire and mayhem increase]
Anne-Marie: We can hear the guns.
Augustin: [Trying to reassure himself as well as Anne-Marie] It's all right. You're in a Catholic school; nobody can go in there.
Anne-Marie: Papa, I have to go
[the alarm bell begins ringing offscreen]
Anne-Marie: . The other girls are waiting for the phone.
Augustin: [Distressed] All right... you, you know I love you...!
Anne-Marie: [Tearfully] I love you too, Papa...! Bye...!
Augustin: Bye-bye...!
[Hangs up. Anne Marie and a friend hug in fright, a scream from outside calls the girls' attention to the pandemonium in the courtyard]
Augustin: .
Martine: [Enters the office in a hurry] Girls... calm down! I want you to go to your dormitories, quickly-! Quickly-!
Priest: [Entering the office as Martine shepherds the girls out] Martine, a word.
Martine: [Focused on her frightened students] I'm sorry Father, we have a school full of terrified girls.
Priest: Martine, we are in a very difficult position, but we must do our duty. We cannot harbor rebels. We must hand them over.
Martine: [Shocked at this proposal] Father, these are not rebels! These are girls, girls that you've promised to raise as your own daughters! And now you would turn them out?
Priest: What can I do, my child? We cannot protect all of them! I do not have the power to change the situation!
[Martine begins to leave, then turns to him again]
Priest: We must pray.

Connections
Featured in Making 'Sometimes in April' (2005)

Soundtracks
Sangela
Written by Belobi Nge Ekerne
Performed by Zaiko

User reviews56

Review

Featured review

9/10

And we wonder why people are willing to end their lives to get away from this world.

What I'm about to say is as controversial as this film. Just like many times in the past the events of Rawanda shows the true nature of man-kinds ability to demean a group or sub-group to such a level that to take the life of a woman or child bares no moral consequence. What about the lives of hundreds of thousands women and children? By broadcasting racial propaganda against the Tutsis the Hutus were able to use the assassination of their President as a springboard for hate and genocide towards the Tutsis Rwanda citizens. Hate of another racial, religious or political group or sub-group is the most used method of control throughout human history. By classifying the term "Cock-Roaches" towards the Tutsis the Hutus were able to see them as less than human making murder more acceptable and without moral consequence.

This movie touched me deeply because it showed the true unforgiving brutality of man with very few moments of sincere sympathy towards the cause of the oppressed. Which is the reality of it all. The Beurocracy of the United Nations headed by the US is as much to blame for the Rwanda tragedy as the murdering Hutus which the film every so slightly portrays in its ending. It also shows its glaring hypocrisy in the face of the UN's most recent intrusions. But this film isn't about political finger pointing its about giving First World Society a vision of the Truth. The Atrocities of Rwanda I would hope more than anything put into perspective the world around us and how everything isn't just the peaches and cream that fills most of our daily lives. No matter what hardships we have been through NONE of them compare to what happened to the Tutsie in 94 or the Jews and Chinese in WWII.

The movie ends with a heart-felt message to "Never Forget". But we will. It is the only thing we can do. To accept the tragedy for what it is as something that truly goes on in this world and will inevitably happen again if Political Propaganda so determines it to be beneficial would mean the end of society's self delusional security. If we were a moral race of beings we would of already taken steps to make sure Rwanda would never happen again in ours nor our children's children's lifetimes. But we haven't. And we won't.

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