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HBO:
How did you get involved and why?
Idris Elba:
Well, I was actually rehearsing for a play at the time. My agent called me and said there's this great project that's about to happen, why don't you read it? So, I did and the script had me in tears. I had seen (director) Raoul Peck's work in "Lumumba" and when I realized that he was behind "Sometimes in April," I was more than excited to meet him.
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Idris Elba on the set of "Sometimes of April."
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HBO:
You play the character of Augustin. What is his journey to you and how did you find a way into him?
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"Augustin is a soldier, a committed soldier. And he realizes very quickly that the government he works for, his regiment is going to be a part of something horrible." |
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— Idris Elba
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Idris Elba:
Augustin is a soldier, a committed soldier, I should say. Married, committed husband to his wife. And he realizes very quickly that the government he works for, his regiment is going to be a part of something horrible. He's directly connected because he's married to a Tutsi, and he faces the hardest decisions any man would ever have to make.
So, those first two weeks were precious to me and I soaked up the culture. I spoke to many people. The country has moved on, it's ten years later. But they allowed me as an actor to be part of their memories, to be part of their experience. The Rwandese wanted the film to be true. So, they allowed me into their world and to share their stories and become Rwandese, so to speak. So that's how I approached Augustin.
Raoul is a fantastic director and a great visionary. He made sure I understood exactly what was going on. He gave me what I needed in order to make the change from myself to Augustin. It was hard. It was extremely hard.
I guess when I arrived in Kigali, I arrived maybe two weeks before we started shooting, which were the most important two weeks of the time for me because here I was in New York running around and rehearsing a play, living my normal life ... and the next thing you know, I was in Kigali, where now I understood what happened ten years ago and here I was about to reenact the whole thing.
So, those first two weeks were precious to me and I soaked up the culture. I spoke to many people. The country has moved on, it's ten years later. But they allowed me as an actor to be part of their memories, to be part of their experience. The Rwandese wanted the film to be true. So, they allowed me into their world and to share their stories and become Rwandese, so to speak. So that's how I approached Augustin.
HBO:
There's a moment in the script where he describes himself as a very bad soldier. Do you think he's a very bad soldier?
Idris Elba:
Augustin was a very good soldier, very committed to his work. I think when Augustin said he was a bad soldier, I think he blames himself for the fact that he wears those colors and that he was almost forced to be a part of that movement.
His first love was his family, but he was married to a Tutsi and I feel that Augustin throughout the film carries so much guilt because he wore the colors of the oppressor. I think of him saying I was a bad soldier as more of saying he was part of a very bad team. I don't think he was a bad soldier. I think he was good. But he didn't see what was coming. He didn't see the future. He didn't see what was going to happen.
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"When you first see Augustin, he opens a letter from his brother, not having seen him since '94, saying to him, make sure they get to safety and then never seeing him again. So as the story unfolds, that's the weight that the audience is asked to hold." |
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— Idris Elba
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And I think he blames himself for not seeing that, perhaps because the history of Rwanda at the time in '94 was that Hutus and Tutsis had been in smaller conflicts for years all over the country. But in '94 it erupted and I think he blames himself for being naïve.
HBO:
The film manages to tell a monumental social story but at the same time is also a very personal, intimate story about you and your brother, Honoré.
Idris Elba:
Oris Erhuero who played my brother was an amazing person to work with. First of all, his name is Oris, my name is Idris. He's from London, I'm from London. We're around the same age and our experiences are much the same. So, when we met in Paris for the first time, we had this immediate bond that carried into the film, which helped us enormously when we started working.
Augustin and Honoré grew up as brothers, but grew up on different sides of the fence. Both are proud to be Hutu. Augustin was a solider, a family man. Honoré was an extremist. He saw the movement, the minority Tutsis having the most power, hated it and wanted to do something about it. Wanted to be part of the movement that eradicated that.
Augustin didn't want to see the eradication of Tutsis. He wanted to see the power distributed evenly by the government by better leadership. He didn't think that oppression would be the answer.
When you first see Augustin, he opens a letter from his brother, not having seen him since '94, saying to him, make sure they get to safety and then never seeing him again. So as the story unfolds, that's the weight that the audience is asked to hold. These two brothers haven't seen each other for ten years and now Augustin has to face the truth of what happened to his family after placing them in the care of his brother.
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Idris Elba rehearses a scene with co-star Fraser James [Xavier] and director Raoul Peck.
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HBO:
Another important character in this story is Xavier. Can you talk a little bit about your relationship to him?
Idris Elba:
Augustin and Xavier grew up together as students and decided to go into the Army together. And I think Xavier had a clue, had an idea of what was going down before Augustin. Like hey, bro, you need to check this out. You know you're married to a Tutsi. You need to be aware of what's going on here. Augustin and Xavier both find out that their names are on a list. Augustin actually tells Xavier. And he takes the news hard. He's devastated, but realizes that they're both in the same boat. And their bonds of friendship are now even stronger. So once the families have left, they try to leave the city in plain clothes, just try and get out as quickly as they can. And of course their attempt is stopped.
When we shot that scene, it was hard. There were a lot of people around, a lot of extras. And it was this very intimate moment where they call Xavier's name out. They don't call Augustin, in fact, the main militia man kind of salutes Augustin like, oh yeah, he's a big dog in the army, and the soldiers give him back his card. But Xavier, you need to come out. That was such a hard moment. I remember we all sat down and read the scene, discussed it with Raoul as to how we were going to play this: it's his execution. Augustin doesn't want this to happen. No one wants this to happen. And when Xavier walks out of there, he's trying to tell him, don't go anywhere, stay right there. We partly improvised some of the scene. It was so emotional. Raoul pretty much just let the cameras roll. That was one of the toughest moments in the film for me because this character was my best friend, we supported each other and then here we are being tortured, being subjected to this ... evil, and we can't do anything about it.
HBO:
You talked a little bit about how Raoul gave you a complete overview of the Rwanda scenario. Were there any key insights that he gave you that sort of focused you on the character and on the job you had to do?
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"You know, as actors you roll in, you read the script, you go home at the end of the night. But for me it wasn't acting anymore." |
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— Idris Elba
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Idris Elba:
The fact that Augustin was based on a true character ... that was all I needed to know. This man lost his entire family and he survived it, so that's who you're playing. No pressure ... [CHUCKLES] That was the moment for me. You know, as actors you roll in, you read the script, you go home at the end of the night. But for me it wasn't acting anymore.
HBO:
What were your first impressions of the country?
Idris Elba:
The first impression, I got off the plane ... I was like yo, it's ... dark. it was pitch black. No lights, you're walking off the airplane onto the runway and I was like, wow. Mind you, my parents are African and this is the first time I touched down in Africa. So, I was just overwhelmed by its power. I had my preconceptions. But the people were very warm and welcoming ... everybody called you brother, it was like ... brother, come. They opened their arms and just embraced us like, come on in, come on in. So much generosity. That is the personality of Rwanda.
Kigali is a city, it's hustle and it's bustle, people are moving and shaking. I met my driver Alex and the first thing he says is, Idris you're my brother, you're my brother. And at first, I was like hey, that's cool. But he really meant it. He told me his story. He's 24 years old, which puts him right in the middle of it as a young teenage boy. He's a survivor and he told me that he survived by playing dead.
And you know, I tell this story like I'm telling any story because he told this story while driving his car playing Bob Marley in the car, driving around Kigali waving to people as he went by. And he told me that he played dead for two weeks underneath members of his family. The militia men had come into his house and literally burst open the doors. Surprise, surprise. And just killed everybody with machetes. And he fell underneath his family and played dead. The soldiers decided to stay in his house for two weeks while they killed other people. And I remember him telling me that he would just hear muffled voices of the militia men talking all night while he was just laying there. And I'm listening to him, shedding tears, and he was just telling me his story as he remembers it, you know. And I thought perhaps he would also shed tears. But the character of the people is unbelievable. I see this guy and he's telling me this story like it's nothing. And I was like whoa! when I play Augustin I have to remember that. That was one of my first impressions of Rwanda.
HBO:
What was it like for you to see the finished film?
Idris Elba:
I'm so proud that this movie has been made. I'm proud because people don't know this story. Why should we care what happened to a group of people on the other side of the world? Well, that's exactly why we should care, because we are all human beings. I'm proud that this movie has been made because of that.
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