SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 6 (AScribe Newswire) -- The critically acclaimed motion picture Hotel Rwanda brought the horrors of Rwandan genocide into the world's focus. Yet even this devastating film did not touch on one the most lasting and insidious affects of the genocide: the systematic use of rape and the deliberate attempt to spread HIV to further cripple a people. In 1994, some 250,000 women were raped during the genocide, and today 175,000 are living with HIV while many have died. Now, a landmark dance performance has joined forces with a San Francisco based international AIDS group to bring these stories to the fore. Local dancer / choreographer Anne Bluethenthal and the nonprofit WE-ACTx have teamed with Rwandan survivors groups and local artists to present the Tubeho Project ("To Live Again" in Kinyarwanda), an oral history documentary project about women's experiences in the genocide and their lives today. The project coincides with performances of Bluethenthal's new dance performance on the nature of genocide, "Unsing the Song," March 23 - 26 at San Francisco's Project Artaud.
The world premiere of a new traveling multimedia exhibition of survivor's portraits and historic testimonials from the Tubeho Project, called "Speaking the Unspeakable," opens in San Francisco on March 20 for a six-day run at San Francisco's Project Artaud Theatre (450 Florida Street @ 17th St.). "Speaking the Unspeakable" includes an original dramatic staged reading of survivor's stories that is part of a larger program, "Reflections on Genocide," produced by the Ann Blumenthal Dance Company and featuring the world premiere of Blumenthal's "Unsing the Song."
"This traveling exhibit is a historic event - the first time Rwandan women who survived the genocidal rape and its aftermath - HIV and AIDS - are speaking out publicly to a global audience to bear witness," said by Anne-christine d'Adesky, Co-Founder and United States curator of the Tubeho Project, with SURF-Rwanda. "Their stories of resistance and survival are as inspiring and powerful, as they are shocking and sorrowful. We are giving Rwanda's women survivors a platform to speak out, to educate others, and to discuss the impact of sexual violence, rape and HIV on their lives, on Rwanda's recovery and future, and what lessons Rwanda offers the world."
Mounting the "Speaking the Unspeakable" exhibit has been made possible by Anne Bluethenthal Dance Productions, whose "Unsing the Song," is a powerful 30 minute meditation on the universal theme of genocide. Its title derives from the testimony of a Sudanese wise woman -- someone highly esteemed in Sudanese culture -- who recalls how her government instructed women of her community to sing their men into battle. However, the women did not know that the army actually would be committing genocide. When the wise woman realized what was happening in Darfur, she longed to unsing her song.
"Speaking the Unspeakable" next heads to Toronto, and will tour the US and elsewhere. "Speaking the Unspeakable" will be staged in the lobby and back gallery of Project Artaud Theatre. The main lobby will feature 28 recently-completed survivor's portraits by photographer Jon Wallen, accompanied by written testimonies and a soundtrack of survivor's stories, and a historic narrative of the genocide and its aftermath. A side gallery will feature Wallen's photographs of life today in Rwanda, a short documentary film clip shot in Rwanda, and sculptures in a variety of media by Bay Area artists commissioned as part of this event. Docents will be on hand to guide visitors through the gallery exhibition, which is free.
Local artists participating in "Speaking the Unspeakable" include visual artists Lorriane Bonner, Susan Garry-Lorica, Stephanie Ann Johnson, and Kristine Mays; musician Patti Boss, and sound artist Cari Campbell, with set design by Hilary Springfield and Ms. d'Adesky. On Saturday, March 25, a 3 p.m. roundtable panel discussion,"HIV and Gender-based Violence: The War At Home" will focus on local issues and global connections. On Sunday, March 25, an interfaith commemorative service will follow the final dance performance.
"Speaking the Unspeakable" was created in response to rape survivors' desire to testify about their experiences and to educate future generations about the growing link of gender based violence and the global HIV epidemic. It will make connections to the systematic use of rape in ongoing regional civil wars in Sudan, northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. "Speaking the Unspeakable" arose from the work of three non-governmental organizations: Women's Equity in Access to Care and Treatment (WE-ACTx), Survivors Fund (SURF) and the Rwandan-based Association of Genocide Widows (AVEGA-Est). A U.S. educational group, Facing History as Ourselves, is also working with the Tubeho Project to educate Bay Area residents about the larger topic of genocide.
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CALENDAR LISTING
WHO: WE-ACTx, SURF, AVEGA-Est and Anne Bluethenthal Dancers
WHAT: Reflections on Genocide: Launch of traveling exhibition on genocide, "Speaking the Unspeakable," featuring world premiere of Anne Bluethenthal's "Unsing the Song"
WHEN: Exhibit: Tuesday, March 21 - Sunday, March 26, 10a.m. - 6 p.m.
Exhibit & dance performance: Thurday, March 23 - Saturday, March 25, 8 p.m.; Sunday, March 26, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Project Artaud Theatre, 450 Florida Street @ 17th Street, San Francisco
HOW MUCH: $25 general; $20 in advance/student/senior; $10 children under12 years. Group rates are available. Afternoon exhibit hours free and open to the public.
TICKETS: ODC Theater Box Office, 3153 17th Street or 415-863-9834; ticketweb.com
WEB: www.abdproductions.org
MEDIA CONTACT: David Perry, David Perry & Associates, Inc,
415-693-0583, news@davidperry.com
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