The cycling film screens at the Fleur Cinema & Café. The event is sponsored by the Des Moines Bicycle Collective.
Rising From Ashesis a joyous and uplifting independent film about the development of a national cycling team in Rwanda, a country still affected deeply by the genocide that tore the East African nation apart in 1994.
Over six years in the making,Rising From Asheswas produced by two partnering non-profit organizations, Gratis 7 Media Group and Project Rwanda. Narrated by Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker, the film has been completely donor-funded and was produced through more than $800,000 in donated funds. Since its release in 2012, the film has won awards at more than a dozen film festivals worldwide.
Although Team Rwanda has taken care of the physical and mental issues of the riders, it has also provided something greater: hope for a nation. Rwanda is a country still recovering from one of the world’s most devastating genocides and the country has longed for heroes. The riders of Team Rwanda have become more than just a cycling team; they have become ambassadors for a country rising from its ashes. They have given the small nation a vision of something greater than itself and renewed a sense of purpose.
Daphne Howland of The Village Voice called Rising From Ashes “a remarkable
documentary. It’s not just about a cycling team; it’s a testament to what
happens when human beings care for one another.” “The film is crisp and
economical,” said Frank Schneck of The Hollywood Reporter. “The film … avoids
extraneous melodramatics, which, after all, are hardly necessary in a tale that
already contains such inherently powerful drama.”
Check out the trailer:www.risingfromashesthemovie.com
Rising From Ashesis more than a movie. It’s a story that relates to each and every person. It’s a gateway of hope. However, this is just the beginning. Since 2005, Team Rwanda has developed a model for caring for passionate athletes and it has gone on to expand that vision. In 2012, Team Rwanda began its next phase, the development of Africa’s first all-black, all-African team to attempt the greatest cycling event in the world, the Tour de France, after having qualified its first rider for the Olympic Games in London.
Come early and meet your friends for an adult beverage, coffee, or soft drink in The Fleur Cinema & Cafe lobby.
Advance tickets are $11 (includes $1 service fee) and can be purchased online. Tickets at the door will be $15. The Fleur Cinema & Café is located at 4545 Fleur Drive in Des Moines.