Ben'Imana is a 2026 drama film directed by Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo, co-written with Delphine Agut. It stars Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi, Isabelle Kabano, Kesia Kelly Nishimwe and Leocadie Uwabeza.
The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May, where it won the Caméra d'Or. It was the first film directed by a Rwandan filmmaker to be included in the festival's official selection.
Premise Set in Rwanda in 2012, the film follows Vénéranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, who is involved in community-led justice and reconciliation. As she faces mounting pressures in her work, a personal crisis within her family forces her to confront the limits of her beliefs.
Cast Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi as Vénéranda Isabelle Kabano as Suzanne Kesia Kelly Nishimwe as Tina Léocadie Uwabeza as Madeleine Antoinette Uwamahoro as Victoire Aime Valens Tuyisenge as Karangwa
Production Ben'Imana was developed through a series of international development labs and co-production programs, including Lim – Less Is More programme in 2020, La Fabrique Cinéma, the Atlas Workshops at the Marrakech International Film Festival, and Ouaga Film Lab.
The project received additional financial backing from the Berlinale World Cinema Fund, the Norwegian Sørfond, and the Red Sea Film Festival's Souk Awards.
The film is produced by Ejo Cine.Ltd (Rwanda) and Princesse M Prod (Gabon), in co-production with Les Films du Bilboquet (France) and Duo Film (Norway). The project was presented at La Fabrique Cinéma at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 by director Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo and producer Samantha Biffot. International sales are handled by MK2 Films.
Release Ben'Imana had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, one of three African films selected for the section in 2026.
Reception On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
References
External links