Turbulent political history, personal demons and underdog sports-doc uplift – T.C. Johnstone’s Rising from Ashes has more than enough on its plate to make for an impassioned doco, and generally, it’s a respectable effort but somehow comes up a tad short. Reverently narrated by Forest Whitaker, it recounts the journey of the first Rwandan cycling team to the 2012 London Olympics under the guidance of American cyclist Jock Boyer. The endeavour is rich in historical significance: the team are made up of survivors of the 1994 genocide which left up to a million Rwandans dead, and this ground-breaking opportunity allows them, as the title suggests, to shine on a world stage in the aftermath of such a seemingly insurmountable event.
If the actual training process isn’t overly dramatic – some gear breaks; Jock dishes out discipline – it does at least inspire a hopeful outcome in the charismatic personalities, raw talents and brotherly togetherness of the cyclists. Rising from Ashes is, ostensibly, their story – which becomes problematic whenever Boyer’s chequered past as a convicted sex offender comes into play. Johnstone suggests a redemptive arc for Boyer, and while it’s perfectly valid for this narrative thread to co-exist with the Rwandans’, it’s also a lot of thematic weight to distribute in a modest film that lasts barely 80 minutes. We’re invited to bask in the achievements of Team Rwanda, but it’s difficult to when confronted with the lingering intrigue surrounding Boyer’s story.
‘Rising from Ashes’ Movie Times
