There is a scene in which this is discussed. Since time immemorial, people in Rwanda more or less got along. When Belgium colonized the nation, "ethnic scientists" came in with their calipers and found that the skulls and ribcages of two groups were somewhat different. Although they were already recognized as tribal groups before the Europeans arrived, it was convenient for the Belgians to name one of these groups, the Tutsi, the ruling class, and the Hutu as subservient. That led to a perhaps inevitable Hutu revolt, and some 500,000 to 1 million members of both tribes died.

This dreadful massacre was ignored by the world, apart from the ineffectual U.N. "peacekeeping mission" we saw in "Hotel Rwanda." What Brown does in "Kinyarwanda," working with research by his executive producer Ishmael Ntihabose, is to weave together several compact interlocking stories to connect events before, during and finally after the genocide. The U.N. is hardly to be seen. Rwandans commit the murders, suffer from the murders, recover and repent. Here over an unspecific period of several months, we see South Africa's truth and reconciliation process at work.

The vignettes establish a vivid group of characters. Jeanne and Patrique (Hadidja Zaninka and Marc Gwamaka), a young couple from different tribes, are in love. Lt. Rose (Cassandra Freeman), the head of a military unit trained in Uganda, hopes to bring peace. Emmanuel (Edouard Bamporiki), the head of a Tutsi killing unit. Father Pierre (Mazimpaka Kennedy), a Catholic priest. The Mufti of Rwanda (Mutsari Jean), head of the nation's Muslims. Perhaps most memorable, a small boy named Ishmael (Hassan Kabera).

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