Rwandan filmmaker Myriam Uwiragiye Birara's acclaimed feature 'The Bride' continues its triumphant international festival journey, securing a prestigious award at the 2025 Festival Panafricain du Cinéma et de la Télévision de Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso on February 28.
The film which explores the traditional Rwandan custom of abducting women to marry them, was honored with the Prix Spécial UNFPA--a recognition bestowed by the United Nations Population Fund that carries a 4,500 USD prize (approximately 6 million Rwandan Francs).
This latest accolade builds upon the film's already impressive credentials, including three awards at Spain's Novos Cinema Festival in 2023. The film is set to be showcased later this year at an art festival in Brazil.
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'The Bride' delves into the social drama of forced marriages, recounting the harrowing journey of Eva, a young woman born into a refugee family in Zaire. Eva's life takes a tragic turn when she becomes a victim of abduction and coercion into marriage at a tender age--a distressing practice once prevalent in Rwanda.
Director Myriam U. Birara, in a past interview with The New Times, shed light on the inspiration behind The Bride.
Growing up in the mid-'90s, she witnessed the plight of young women abducted and forced into marriages, a practice leaving brides trapped in situations of shame and scorn.
Drawing from the personal experiences of her own aunts, victims of forced marriages, Birara explored the impact on their lives, contemplating how they navigated such circumstances--whether giving up on dreams, accepting life with a stranger, or finding the courage to rebel. These questions laid the foundation for "The Bride," marking the director's debut film.
FESPACO, a pan-African Film and Television Festival started in 1969, whose aim to contribute to the expanding and development of African cinema, as means of expression, education and awareness raising. It is one of Africa's most prestigious film festivals, held every two years.
