Reflective Encounters

“As a pot of tea boils over, frothy milk spitting on a hot stovetop, Anna makes a decision. She is ready to step out of the violence that permeates her life. Inès Girihirwe’s drama about a Rwandan woman on the precipice of leaving an abusive relationship is full of a palpable loneliness thanks to the darkness and lengthy silences that engulf the first half of the film. The stifling house she lives in thrums with tension, but when Anna finds solace with a group of women, she allows colour and commotion back into her life.

It is difficult to explore the complexities of abusive relationships and the struggle to leave them. Often the language we use refers to strength, inadvertently implying weakness of those who cannot or do not leave. Breaking Ground doesn’t cast aspersions on Anna for her decisions. Instead, it recognises the impact of her isolation, and then relishes in the sense of community that she finds with other women.

Anna’s story is not over. It is not shown to be heroic or unique, but that makes it no less important. Breaking Ground looks at a woman at the beginning of the journey to learning to embrace herself again, and that is enough.”

— Malaika Kegode