Ganza Moise captures the human spirit in whispers, silences, and fleeting moments—on screen, in poetry, and through children’s stories. Based in Kigali, Rwanda, he has spent the last decade shaping himself into one of the country’s most versatile storytellers, moving seamlessly between directing, writing, producing, and even acting. Across all these forms, he searches for the fragile, often overlooked moments that reveal our shared humanity.
Finding his voice
Moise stepped into filmmaking in 2015 with the short Despair. Quiet yet piercing, the film explored the weight of hope fading away. It screened at the Mashariki African Film Festival and the Uganda Film Festival, offering him an early glimpse of connecting with audiences beyond Rwanda.
At Mashariki, he joined a writing and directing workshop. Out of the submitted scripts, his was chosen among the top two, paving the way for Umuturanyi (The Girl Next Door). The film traced the story of illness and isolation—but also of unexpected connections—reflecting Moise’s belief that even the darkest stories carry light.
Recognition beyond borders
In 2017, Moise traveled to Egypt for the Haile Gerima Workshop at the Luxor African Film Festival. There, he directed Sukut (Silence), a short about a girl’s struggle to reclaim her voice in a society where silence is often expected. The film resonated globally, screening at festivals across Europe, Africa, and the United States. For Moise, it was proof that local stories could carry universal echoes.
A collaborator at heart
Though directing remains his central focus, Moise rarely works alone. He has served as assistant director on more than ten projects, including Sharangabo Philbert’s Waiting, Nyirinkwaya Ngoma’s Torment, Shema Deve’s Disconnected, and Mutiganda wa Nkunda’s feature Nameless. He also stepped into the commercial world as Second Assistant Director on a Heineken Primus ad.
Collaboration defines his work as a producer as well. With fellow Rwandan filmmaker Remy Ryumugabe, he co-produced shorts like Mnemosyne, From Here to There, Ijambo, and Each Scar Has a Story. Together, they later co-directed the hybrid feature Kinema, blending documentary and fiction into one immersive narrative.
Works and roles
Moise’s creative fingerprints span many projects:
Director: Despair (2016), Umuturanyi (2016), Sukut (2017), Injiji (Ignoramii) (2019), Sensory Overload (2021), Muzunga (2022), Akokantu (2025)
Producer / Co-Producer: Mnemosyne (2019), Each Scar Has a Story (2022), From Here to There (2022), Imuhira(Home) (2021)
Assistant Director: Waiting (2017), Torment, Disconnected, Nameless
Actor: I Got My Things and Left
A poetic lens
What sets Moise apart is his ability to make silence speak. He lingers on small gestures, private battles, and unspoken truths, turning them into images both intimate and universal. Silence, memory, and resilience are not just subjects in his work—they are textures, recurring presences that give his storytelling a deeply poetic quality.
Beyond the screen
Film is only one path for Moise. As a poet, his writing echoes the sensitivity of his films. As a children’s book author, he crafts stories that nurture imagination for younger readers, helping them see possibility where others might see limitation. Whether on screen, on the page, or in memory, Moise reminds us that even the smallest moments hold stories that heal and connect us all.
