It was 1994 and the Hutus were on a murderous rampage axing down all cockroaches, aka Tutsis. Child, adult, the unborn, no Tutsi was spared the wrath of the angry Hutus. Even the Hutu moderates, a group of Hutus that were not part of the killings, were being gunned down in droves. Amid this chaos four women found themselves hiding in the kitchen basement of a young Hutu couple: Annick (Eliane Umuhire), Jeanette (Charmaine Bingwa), Peyton (Ella Cannon) and Mutesi (Bola Koleosho).
Annick is wife to Francois (Tongayi Chirisa), and it is in their basement that the other three women were hiding. She is pregnant with her first child.
Jeanette is a Catholic nun filled with all self-righteousness that accompanies her religious standing.
Peyton is an American Peace Corps volunteer whose commitment to aid work is as an atonement for a past wrong.
Mutesi is an angry, bitter Tutsi woman who had been scarred by years of sexual molestation.
Four women from different backgrounds stuck in an impossible situation. Food supply was scarce and only received occasionally through Francois, who had to risk his life many times to bring the women succor. Water was rationed and at times complemented by rainwater. Hygiene was thrown out the window. Though they were shielded from direct physical harm, an opening in their hideaway ensured they still saw and heard first-hand the violence that was being meted out.
Even among the women, there was an initial illusion of peace and cooperation, but this did not last long. The ethnic division that flamed the ongoing violence soon found its way into their group. Illusions were broken, bonds were tested, voices raised and people were revealed in their true colors. All of these notwithstanding, the four women found ways to become closer, helping and supporting each other as often as they could and bonding over a book titled Trees of Peace.
Over 90 days later, the women climb out of the basement for the first time and walk into a welcoming reception they never had thought of. Their survival a testament to sisterhood and humanity that has been tested beyond limits.
In Trees of Peace, Director Alanna Brown looked at a different aspect of the 100-day Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. It was less about the whys than it was about how the nation could move forward after such a devastating experience. While Trees of Peace is a tedious movie and requires dedication to watch to the end, it has lessons for everyone patient enough to watch it.