''A Place for Myself'' is a Rwandan

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

released in 2016.

Plot

Set in Rwanda, the film tells the story of a 5 year old Elikia with

albinism Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino. Varied use and interpretation of the term ...

, who struggles in the face of discrimination and stigma at primary school. With her mother, she fights back against discrimination.

Reception

The

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

premiered at the

Goethe Institut The Goethe-Institut (, GI, en, Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and ...

in Kigali. It was also shown at the 2017

Toronto Black Film Festival The Toronto Black Film Festival is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario.Geoff Pevere, "Toronto Black Film Festival". ''The Globe and Mail'', February 14, 2014. Held in February each year as part of Black History Month, the festival programs a ...

and the 2017

Milano Film Festival Milan Film Festival (MFF), also known as Milano Film Festival, is an annual film festival held since 1996 in Milan, Italy. It was founded as a competition of only local short films. It became an international film festival in 1998 when it also st ...

. It gained three awards, including the

Ousmane Sembene Ousmane is a given name or surname common in West Africa. It is derived from the Arabic name Uthman through Osman. People named Ousmane include: * Mahamane Ousmane (born 1950), Nigerien political figure * Ousmane Bangoura (born 1979), Guinean foot ...

Award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

, at the

Zanzibar International Film Festival The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa. ZIFF is a non-governmental organization esta ...

(ZIFF), and won a Tanit bronze award at the

Carthage Film Festival The Carthage Film Festival (CFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis and founded in 1966. It is also called by its abbreviation JCC, from its French name, , or by its Arabic title, (''Cinema Days of Carthage''). Initially bienn ...

in 2016.

References

2016 films 2016 short films Rwandan short films Kinyarwanda-language films Albinism in popular culture {{Rwanda-film-stub