My Review -
Black Earth Rising
Streaming on Netflix
My Rating 9:10
This year on the 7th of April marks the 30th Anniversary of the start of the 1994 genocide that took place in Rwanda which lasted for the 100-day period to mid-July 1994.
More than 1 million people mostly from the Tutsi minority ethnic group, but also moderates from the Hutu majority who tried to protect Tutsis were systematically murdered by Hutu extremists during a 100 day killing spree.
Black Earth Rising is a powerful 8 part series released in 2018 that concerns the incredible task of a dedicated team of lawyers and diplomats trying to bring War criminals and the Political system that allowed these horrors to occur to justice.
It's a very emotional series the events of the genocide are based on fact but the series story by Hugo Blick is fictional .
Episode one begins with the foster mother of Kate Ashby , Eve Ashby a renowned International lawyer accepting a War Crimes case to be heard in The Hague at The International Court of Justice Eve Ashby played by Harriet Walter saved her daughter's life of by rescuing her as a baby from the Rwandan genocide after Kate's parents had been brutally murdered.
When Eve Ashby takes on the War Crimes case involving an African militia leader the consequences of her decision alter her Rwandan born daughter's life forever.
The series then thrillingly enters a much wider arc of targets when John Goodman who gives a superb performance as Michael Ennis a barrister and friend of Kate's mother takes on the case together with Kate as a legal investigator.
This 8 episode series was written directed and produced by Hugo Blick who also has a major role in episodes 4 and 5 cast as Blake Haines the vile attorney in 2 dramatic episodes of Black Earth Rising .
Interestingly while in production the series was titled The Forgiving Earth but I think wisely went back to the original title at release time.
The series has a few slow spots but builds to a thrilling climax and thankfully focuses more on the drama of the fight for justice and accountability rather than depicting the shocking genocide that did actually occur in Rwanda thirty years ago this week.
A splendid ensemble cast some I've mentioned also include Tamara Tunie as Eunice Clayton the U. S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs ,Noma Dumezweni as Alice Munezero , a former General in the Rwandan Patriotic Army , all give top calibre performances in fact the entire production cast and crew deserve credit for this disturbing but thrilling series.
No doubt in years to come we will see similar stories of the atrocities of War still occurring in our world today because we never have learnt to live in Peace.
This year on the 7th of April marks the 30th Anniversary of the start of the 1994 genocide that took place in Rwanda which lasted for the 100-day period to mid-July 1994.
More than 1 million people mostly from the Tutsi minority ethnic group, but also moderates from the Hutu majority who tried to protect Tutsis were systematically murdered by Hutu extremists during a 100 day killing spree.
Black Earth Rising is a powerful 8 part series released in 2018 that concerns the incredible task of a dedicated team of lawyers and diplomats trying to bring War criminals and the Political system that allowed these horrors to occur to justice.
It's a very emotional series the events of the genocide are based on fact but the series story by Hugo Blick is fictional .
Episode one begins with the foster mother of Kate Ashby , Eve Ashby a renowned International lawyer accepting a War Crimes case to be heard in The Hague at The International Court of Justice Eve Ashby played by Harriet Walter saved her daughter's life of by rescuing her as a baby from the Rwandan genocide after Kate's parents had been brutally murdered.
When Eve Ashby takes on the War Crimes case involving an African militia leader the consequences of her decision alter her Rwandan born daughter's life forever.
The series then thrillingly enters a much wider arc of targets when John Goodman who gives a superb performance as Michael Ennis a barrister and friend of Kate's mother takes on the case together with Kate as a legal investigator.
This 8 episode series was written directed and produced by Hugo Blick who also has a major role in episodes 4 and 5 cast as Blake Haines the vile attorney in 2 dramatic episodes of Black Earth Rising .
Interestingly while in production the series was titled The Forgiving Earth but I think wisely went back to the original title at release time.
The series has a few slow spots but builds to a thrilling climax and thankfully focuses more on the drama of the fight for justice and accountability rather than depicting the shocking genocide that did actually occur in Rwanda thirty years ago this week.
A splendid ensemble cast some I've mentioned also include Tamara Tunie as Eunice Clayton the U. S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs ,Noma Dumezweni as Alice Munezero , a former General in the Rwandan Patriotic Army , all give top calibre performances in fact the entire production cast and crew deserve credit for this disturbing but thrilling series.
No doubt in years to come we will see similar stories of the atrocities of War still occurring in our world today because we never have learnt to live in Peace.