In 1994, fifty years after the Holocaust, the world allowed another genocide to take place, this time in Rwanda. The international community-including the United States-remained passive as 800,000 Tutsi men, women and children were massacred under the eyes of UN peacekeepers.
Shot over three years, this three-part film (on one tape) follows several Rwandans before, during, and after the genocide.

Canada, 1996, Documentary,

A film by Danièle Lacourse and Yvan Patry

Music by René Lussier

Part One: "Blood was flowing like a river"
Explores the genesis of the genocide in two key regions of Rwanda: Kibuye and the Bugesera.

Part Two: "We were cowards"
Focusing on the largest massacre in Kigali and featuring unique footage shot by a UN peacekeeper, this part reveals the experiences of UN soldiers, and of the victims who were left behind.

Part Three: "We feel betrayed"
Following the genocide, the Hutu majority is subjected to crimes, perpetrated this time by the new Rwandan government led by Tutsi extremists. This comprehensive documentary raises disturbing questions-did we turn a blind eye to the worst conceivable crime, "because Rwanda was too little, too poor, too remote and probably too Black to be worthwhile."


"A vast, moving mural of outrage and horror; never underestimating the enduring power of human hatred, CHRONICLE still leaves room for justice, even reconciliation."-Human Rights Watch Film Festival

"Highly recommended! Powerful and gripping... the accounts are rendered with a sad yet controlled dignity. An excellent tool for teaching social justice and making the public aware of contemporary human rights issues and violations." -Catholic Library World

"A powerful film... Its primary sources (testimonies of survivors, extracts from "hate" magazines, video diaries, views of extremists) will benefit a range of scholars. Rich in both narrative and imaginative photography, [it] will repay use by academics, students, and Africanists." -Professor Peter Limb, University of Western Australia

✮ Award for Best Feature Documentary & Canadian Chalmers Prize for Excellence and Creativity (Best of the Festival), 1997 Hot Docs Festival (Toronto)

✮1997 Human Rights Watch Film Festival