Trees of Peace

{{Short description|2022 film}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Infobox film

| italic_title = Trees of Peace

| director = Alanna Brown

| writer = Alanna Brown

| starring = Eliane Umuhire,
Charmaine Bingwa,
Bola Koleosho,
Ella Cannon,
Tongai Chirisa

| producer = {{Plainlist|

• Ron Ray
• Barry Levine
• Mike Bundlie
• Brian Baniqued
• Vicky Petela
• Jeffrey Spiegel

}}

| released = {{Film date|2022|06|10}}

| runtime = 98 minutes

| language = English

}}

Trees of Peace is a 2022 film which was written and directed by Alanna Brown in her directorial debut. It stars Eliane Umuhire, Charmaine Bingwa, Bola Koleosho and Ella Cannon as four women (two Tutsi, one a Hutu moderate, and one American volunteer) who hide in a hole underneath a house for 81 days to survive the 1994 Rwandan genocide.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Angelique |date=2022-08-30 |title=Nicole Avant Talks Netflix's Rwandan Genocide-Set Drama 'Trees of Peace' and Wanting to Make Movies That Affect the Human Spirit |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/features/nicole-avant-netflix-trees-of-peace-rwandan-genocide-1235318948/ |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} It has a 98-minute runtime and it is an English language film.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-11 |title=Trees of Peace review: Fine example of low-budget storytelling |url=http://www.news9live.com/entertainment/movie-review/trees-of-peace-review-fine-example-of-low-budget-storytelling-175745 |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=News9live |language=en-US}}

The film was initially funded through a 2017 Kickstarter campaign. The film was produced by companies RR Productions, Abstract Entertainment and A Brown Girl Films. Producers included Ron Ray, Barry Levine, Mike Bundlie, Brian Baniqued and Jeffrey Spiegel. Executive Producers included Nicole Avant (The Black Godfather, Six Triple Eight).{{Cite web |title=Under the Radar: Alanna Brown Explores Love & Resilience in Rwandan Genocide Drama "Trees of Peace" |url=https://womenandhollywood.com/under-the-radar-alanna-brown-explores-love-resilience-in-rwandan-genocide-drama-trees-of-peace/ |access-date=2022-07-08 |website=womenandhollywood.com |language=en-US}} Production ended in November 2019. A year after the film premiered at the 2021 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and won multiple other prestigious film festivals, Ron Ray personally negotiated the licensing of the film to Netflix as a Netflix Original. Netflix acquired the global rights to the film in March 2022.{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Jeremy |title=Netflix takes worldwide rights to Rwandan genocide drama 'Trees Of Peace' (exclusive) |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/netflix-takes-worldwide-rights-to-rwandan-genocide-drama-trees-of-peace-exclusive/5168938.article |website=Screen}} The film's trailer was released on May 13, and the film premiered on June 10. Within 5 days of its release, "Trees Of Peace" hit the Top 10 in 60 countries and launched multiple careers in Hollywood. The film received a 100% rating from Critics and 85% ratings from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix acquired the global rights to the film, and released it worldwide simultaneously in 191 countries. The Hindu described it as a moving survival story.{{Cite news |last=Moksha |first=Tamma |date=June 14, 2022 |title='Trees of Peace' review: A moving survival story that needed more substance |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/trees-of-peace-review-a-moving-survival-story-that-needed-more-substance/article65526820.ece |access-date=2023-04-09 |issn=0971-751X}}