Sacred Water immerses you into contemporary Rwandan culture in the most intimate way : sex. Exploring more particularly female ejaculation in Rwanda.

Keep calm, it's not a porno doc. You will see a modern Rwanda rediscovering its heritage. A part of Africa that keeps surprising and teaching us.

Vestine-1460103653

SYNOPSIS

Guided by Vestine, an extravagant star of radio nights, the film discovers Rwandan sexuality in search of the water that gushes out the female body. "Sacred Water" reveals with humor and spontaneity the mystery of female bliss. Did the Rwandans inherit another way of lovemaking, where female pleasure would be central ?

With all the lightness but also seriousness the subject requires, the film takes us to a modern Africa and its founding myths, and reflects our view about sex and pleasure in the Western World.

Intro-1453988552

"Arousing Woman, watering the hills and valleys with her warm dew..."

WHY MAKE THIS FILM ?

"Sacred Water" confronts the viewpoints of a rapidly changing society. From cities to villages, caught between two worlds, should these traditions still be passed down ? If yes, how ? Although part of mainstream knowledge, these practices create controversy in today's society.

Focusing on their unique sexual practices, I create a lighthearted and mystical atmosphere. My aim is to stop portraying Africa as a patriarchal continent, where the men cheat on their wives, mutilate them sexually and live in miserable conditions.

This films also mirrors our own sexuality. Are we, in the Western World, as liberated as we believe ? Do we really share intimacy ? I'm not promoting these practices, but rather interested in the passing on of sexual traditions, from one generation to the next.

FILM CREW

Director : Olivier Jourdain

Director of Photography : Christophe Rolin - Olivier Jourdain

Sound Recording and camera : Sébastien Wielemans - Olivier Conrardy - Olivier Jourdain

Editors : Mélanie Le Clech – Mathieu Piérart

Color grading : Benjamin Dontaine

Sound editing : Bertrand Le Roy

Translations : Providence Rwayitare - Malika Banyundo

Subtitling: FR: Anna Clarac

Music and Sound editing : Purple Airplane - Bertrand Le Roy et Stéphane Grégoire

Assistant director : Guy Ndoli

Graphic design: SquareFish

Producers: Nameless Productions

With the help of "Wallonie Image productions" and "Sens Uniek"

WHO AM I ?

Passionate about Visual Anthropology, I studied Filmmaking in London (Brunel) as well as Anthropology in Leuven (KUL), after receiving a Masters in Communication in Brussels, IHECS.

I have been traveling to Sub-Saharan Africa for over 15 years. Those numerous travels have changed my views on this vast and diverse continent. From Mali to Madagascar, the Congo, Ivory Coast and Rwanda, I have had the opportunity to make numerous documentaries and promotional films for NGO's and local communities.

Non-exhaustive Filmography:

« 1001 days » (2010 // 10 min) : Director

Cannes festival, Critic’s week, 2011 // Zagreb Film festival, 2012

« Kinshasa Mboka te » (2013// 52 min) : DOP, editor

FIFF 2013 // Festival des Films du Monde 2013 // Zanzibar International Film Festival 2013 //Millenium festival 2013

« Ponaekhali » (2009 // 12min) : Editor

Moscow film festival, 2010 Murmansk film festival, 2011

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Production year: 2016

Length : 57 min

Languages: Kinyarwanda, English

Aspect ratio: 16/9

Shooting format : HD COLOR

Distribution support : DCP

Archive footage: None

L'eau sacrée // Sacred water

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