Rwanda’s Ben’Imana wins the Caméra d’Or at Cannes
Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s debut about a genocide survivor won the prize for best first film.
Key points
- Rwandan director Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo won the Caméra d’Or, Cannes’ prize for the best first feature, for Ben’Imana on 23 May 2026.
- The film premiered in Un Certain Regard on 19 May; it was the first film by a Rwandan director in the festival’s official selection. It also won the FIPRESCI Prize.
- Set in 2012, it follows Vénéranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi involved in community justice and reconciliation.
Rwandan director Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2026 for her debut feature, Ben'Imana.
The Caméra d'Or is awarded to the best first feature film across all of Cannes' selections. This year, 23 debut features were in contention.
A Rwandan first
Ben'Imana premiered in the festival's Un Certain Regard section on 19 May. It was the first film by a Rwandan director to be included in Cannes' official selection. It also won the FIPRESCI Prize from the International Federation of Film Critics.
The film
Co-written by Dusabejambo and Delphine Agut, the film is set in Rwanda in 2012. It follows Vénéranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, who is involved in community-led justice and reconciliation.
What's next
UK audiences can see the film when it opens Film Africa 2026 in London on 23 October. African cinema had a strong year on the festival circuit, with more prizes for African filmmakers at Venice.
Sources
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