Cynthia Butare

Cynthia Butare is a Rwandan–Swiss filmmaker as well as a videographer . She is best known as the director of critically acclaimed Rwandan film Kickin It With The Kinks.

She was born in about 1988 in Geneva, Switzerland. She lived there until the end of high school and she then moved to UK for higher studies.

She obtained a bachelor's degree in Digital Media and Communications and later completed a Master's in Documentary Practice at Manchester Metropolitan University. In 2011, she made the short film Kickin' It With The Kinks for her university project. The film received a prize for best documentary in her department. Later in 2016, Cynthia along with her friend Mundia, decided to produce a longer version of the film. The film received critical acclaim and screened at several international film festivals. In the same year, she started her own company, 'CB Production'.

While a teenager, she started blogging in 2003. Even though she stopped blogging after three years, she restarted it in 2012. In 2013, Butare received the Award for Best Blog of The Year by the BEFFTA. However, she moved to Rwanda in 2014. While in Rwanda, she made her second documentary film, Ishimwa: From Bloodshed To Grace. It was screened as part of the Rwanda Film Festival. She was working on a project called The Return in 2015.

Quotes

• I started drawing at a young age though my art was not different from other children, however in 2016, I tried
  • When and how did you know that your hands were gifted? asked Cynthia (The New Times, Saturday, March 10, 2018)
• Moving to Rwanda, where I had never lived before and make a living as a videographer. That’s the only thing I am good at. This is how I can be helpful.
  • Cynthia Butare said on her journey into filmmaking (The New Times, Saturday, March 10, 2018)
• Ever since I came to Rwanda, I’ve been working with different NGOs in areas related to filming. As of now, I can say that filming is already part of my everyday life.
  • When Diasporans return home, said Cynthia Butare (The New Times, Saturday, August 01, 2015)
• Video storytelling is complementary with many other forms of communication from photography, graphic design, to animation. Therefore, I see myself working on bigger multi-media type of projects. For that, I need to keep working on conceptualization.
  • Cynthia Butare on her journey into filmmakingThe New Times, March 10, 2018
• I would like to share what I know, strengthen my knowledge but also show that there are ways to get our content out there without having a big budget.
  • Cynthia Butare on her journey into filmmakingThe New Times, March 10, 2018