Rwandan filmmaker and psychotherapist, Mutuyimana Célestin has scooped Global Science Film Festival award for his movie ‘Sewing Souls’.

The award giving ceremony was held on April 2 during the 5th Global Science Film Festival at Zurich, Switzerland.

Mutuyimana’s movie was awarded as the most successful one based on scientific research and impactful for society.

The ‘Sewing Souls’ movie indicates  the right solution for the  deep sorrow exposed by people’s traumatic life experiences since they were children and  highlights how culture expects them to be healed after marriage.

While he was at Baho Smile Institute research center for his research in Rwanda and East Africa, Mutuyimana revealed that there are a lot of family problems provoked by untreated mental and psychological wounds.

“When I discussed with other professionals around the world, they had a similar problem, especially in collectivistic communities. I noticed that people don’t feel comfortable revealing their psychological problems and seeking help due to high levels of doubt and cultural values that discourage sharing sadness,” he said.

He added: “I produced this movie to alert the community about proper ways of healing and maintaining healthy family relationships.”

Mutuyimana Célestin  is one of the co-founders and chair person of Baho-Ubudaheranwa and co-founder of the Rwanda Psychological Society. He is a licensed clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, trainer and researcher in the field of psychopathology and clinical interventions.

He is pursuing a PhD in psychopathology and clinical interventions at the University of Zurich, department of psychology in Switzerland and works as a research assistant at the University of Rwanda.

The Global Science Film Festival was launched in 2017 with an aim to bridge the gap between science and community. The main target is to explain in a comprehensible and easy-friendly language of scientific results to the general audience using films.

It is organised by the Suisse Science Film Academy together with other partners.