Father's Day

“Men are stressful,” says one woman to another in Father’s Day – and indeed, this is the film’s central theme. Each story is concerned with the failures of men and the violence they commit. An impoverished and abusive father teaches his young son to hustle on the streets. A housewife is exasperated by her husband’s slackness as she copes with the death of their son. A young woman decides whether to donate part of her lung to a father she hates (with good reason). The lingering trauma of the 1994 genocide remains a spectre over these stories of anger, sorrow, fragile hope and determination. Stirringly beautiful cinematography, fine ensemble acting and a sharp screenplay elevate this captivating and memorable film.