Screenings Lead Up to the Cascades Cycling Classic; Gasore Hategeka of Team Rwanda Will Be in Attendance for a Post-Film Discussion; Screening Proceeds Benefit Team Rwanda
On Monday July 17 at McMenamin’s, BendFilm will present two screenings – at 5:30pm and 8:15pm – of RISING FROM ASHES, the uplifting and redemptive 2012 documentary by T.C. Johnstone that follows Team Rwanda in its quest to reach the highest levels of cycling while becoming a symbol of hope for their recovering country. The film has won 12 awards across a variety of festivals including the Audience Choice Award at the Austin Film Festival. “It’s not just about a cycling team,” wrote Daphne Howard in a review for The Village Voice. RISING FROM ASHES “is a testament to what happens when human beings care for one another.”
Team Rwanda is making only its second trip to the United States to race in the 37th Cascades Cycling Classic–July 20-24, 2017. Six Team Rwanda riders will be in town, including Gasore Hategeka, who is featured in the film and some guests from the team will be at the screening. Also attending the screening is team director of marketing and logistics Kimberly Coats.
Proceeds from the McMenamin’s screenings will go toward Team Rwanda’s efforts, not just in developing more Olympic cyclists, but also to its expanded mission to improve literacy, food, water and healthcare in Rwanda.
Todd Looby, BendFilm executive director, said, “Screening this impactful documentary before one of the best cycling events in the West can only enhance the camaraderie in Bend during the Cascade Cycling Classic. We are honored to screen this deeply moving film, to host several subjects of Rising From Ashes, and discuss this incredible story.”
“When you say Rwanda,” Coats told an interviewer last year, “people still think genocide.” Of Hutus and Tutsis and the mass slaughter of an estimated 500,000-1,000,000 men, women, and children. “Our riders…always say that they want Rwanda to be known as a land of cycling, and not for all the bad of the past. They see themselves as ambassadors of a new Rwanda and proof that people from different backgrounds can come together and race as one team.”
RISING FROM ASHES (Directed by T.C. Johnstone, USA, 2012, 82 min.)
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXfq0DxS4KM
Tickets: $15: 5:30pm screening: https://goo.gl/ER5h8X
8:15pm screening tickets: https://goo.gl/kkWXq1
BendFilm hosts an annual independent film festival as well as year-round film exhibitions and programs. The organization is designed to support and nourish filmmakers and enrich the cultural life of Central Oregon while also providing an economic benefit to the region. Celebrating its 14th year, BendFilm is proud to bring diverse voices and visions to the Bend community. The BendFilm Festival runs every October in downtown Bend, Oregon, at The Oxford, McMenamins – Old St. Francis, Regal Cinemas, Tin Pan Theater, The Volcanic Theater, The Old Stone Performing Arts Center, and the historic Tower Theatre. Make plans now to attend October 12-15, 2017, for four days of inspiring independent cinema, panels and parties, in beautiful Bend, a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, foodies, beer lovers and stunning natural scenery. BendFilm is made possible by a dedicated crew of volunteers and generous sponsors. For more information, call (541) 388-3378 or visit www.bendfilm.org.