Limits of empathy: Crises of representation and their possible solutions in theatrical and cinematic portrayals of the Rwandan genocide

Over the last decade, several artists have set out to raise awareness about the Rwandan genocide. Their efforts have resulted in three English language feature films (Hotel Rwanda, Beyond the Gates, and Shake Hands with Devil), as well as two documentaries (Ghosts of Rwanda and Shake Hands with the Devil), two published plays (The Overwhelming and Maria Kizito), and an HBO made-for-TV movie (Sometimes in April). While all of these works achieved critical acclaim, and one was even nominated for multiple Oscars, very little scholarly research has been done on them. In this thesis, I will explore the various challenges of representing the Rwandan genocide in the theatre and on film and, in the final chapter, I will propose a cinematic and theatrical genre that can help address these issues.;Specifically, chapter I will explore the lack of historicization in the films and plays of this cycle, as well as their employment of a technique known as "white point of entry." The second chapter will continue to explore some of the weaknesses of the works about the Rwandan genocide by examining the ways in which the subject matter is romanticized, the violence is made more palatable, and the victims are de-humanized. In the third chapter, I will turn to a discussion of how to avoid these mistakes and develop emotionally stirring films and plays by creating pieces of posttraumatic cinema and posttraumatic theatre.