Olaf Heine

During the Rwandan genocide in 1994 up to one million Tutsi were murdered by members of the Hutu tribe. Eighty percent of the women who survived were raped. Today, victims and perpetrators live side by side. Although women have gained social status since then, the rape victims and their children exist on the bottom rungs of the social hierarchy. Many young women, however, have managed to rescue their traumatized mothers and free them from the stigma. Their courage and optimism in a society under authoritarian rule and marred by trauma are unparalleled. Rwandan Daughters depicts these strong women who have overcome traumatic experiences. German photographer Olaf Heine (born 1968) has captured this turning point and the reconciliation in these impressive photographs, portraying mothers and daughters shoulder-to-shoulder at sites where the crimes occurred. Along with the photographs, the volume features brief statements from the women describing how they have dealt with their experiences.