Rwandan filmmaker Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo made history when she won the coveted Caméra d’Or Award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival with her debut feature film, Ben’Imana.
The Caméra d’Or, also called the Golden Camera Award, goes to the best first feature film featured at the Cannes Film Festival. It is one of the highest distinctions for debut directors in the world today.
Also, Ben’Imana became the first film directed by a filmmaker from Rwanda to be screened in the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival, having premiered in the Un Certain Regard category on May 19th.
Filmed in Rwanda in 2012, Ben’Imana tells the story of Vénéranda, a Genocide against the Tutsi survivor working towards reconciliation in communities despite challenges both in her personal life and in her work.
The filmmaker said that she had dedicated the award to the women who were the inspiration behind this film, saying that “it was an immense wave of gratitude.”
This movie was made through partnerships among several production companies in Rwanda, Gabon, France, and Norway.
