From Propaganda To Preservation: Film As Historiography In 1990’s Massacres

Abstract

This essay examines the pivotal role of cinema as a historiographical source in preserving the memory of 1990s genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, contrasting their cinematic representations with Western-centric narratives like 9/11. Through the analysis of films such as Hotel Rwanda (2004), Shooting Dogs (2005), Imfura (2017), Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (1996), The Perfect Circle (1997), No Man’s Land (2001), Grbavica (2006), and Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020), varying degrees of local authorship and authenticity are highlighted, from Hollywood-dominated productions marginalising Rwandan voices to emerging Bosnian cinema’s self-narration. Drawing on archival footage, propaganda analysis (Forbidden Films, 2014), and projects like Fondazione Gramsci Puglia’s digital restoration, the study emphasizes cinema’s capacity to counter the “Italiani Brava Gente” myth and Western media asymmetries (eg, 810,000+ Rwanda/Srebrenica deaths vs. 2,977 on 9/11). It argues for film as an educational tool against oblivion, supported by EU programs like MEDIA, fostering dialogue in post-conflict societies.