Isabelle Kabano

EARLY LIFE

Isabelle Sarah Kabano was born in 1974 in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, to a Rwandan family. Her father directed a theater troupe, and her mother was a singer, immersing her in an artistic environment from a young age. She spent much of her childhood and adolescence in Kinshasa and later Goma (North Kivu) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the Rwandan border. As a teenager, she participated in theater performances that helped fund the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). Following the signing of the Arusha Accords in August 1993, she moved to Rwanda, where her grandparents lived. She later studied journalism at the National University of Rwanda in Butare. In 2001, she joined the “URWINTORE” theater workshops founded by director Dorcy Rugamba in collaboration with the Royal Conservatory of Liège, which marked a formal step in her performing arts training.

CAREER

Theater: Kabano’s theater career began with the landmark production Rwanda 94, particularly La Cantate de Bisesero. She has continued with politically and socially engaged works, including Bloody Niggers! (2022). She later moved into directing, serving as assistant director on the opera UMURINZI (2019) and independently directing The Vagina Monologues in 2024. Film: She first appeared in international productions related to the Rwandan Genocide: Sometimes in April (2005, directed by Raoul Peck) – Felicie Shake Hands with the Devil (2007) Opération Turquoise (2007) Her major breakthrough came in 2020 with the leading role of Yvonne in Petit Pays (Small Country: An African Childhood), directed by Éric Barbier and adapted from Gaël Faye’s novel. For this performance, she won the Valois de la Meilleure Actrice (Best Actress) at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival, the Francophone Cinema Honor Trophy, and Best Actress at the BCN Film Festival in 2021. Subsequent notable roles include: Black Tea (2024, directed by Abderrahmane Sissako) – Vivi Kwibuka (se souvenir) (2025) Ben’imana (2026) – which received significant international attention, including the Caméra d’Or in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival Upcoming: Bisesero: A Story of Resistance / Bisesero: A Daughter’s Story (as Evaliana), directed by Mandla Dubé She is regularly invited to serve on juries at international film festivals, including Angoulême and the Brussels Film Festival. Other Professional Work: Before fully focusing on acting, she worked in media, including directing the in-flight magazine of RwandAir until March 2020.

PERSONAL LIFE

Kabano maintains a relatively private personal life. She is deeply committed to Rwandan culture and has been actively involved with the Rwanda Arts Initiative (RAI), supporting the structuring of Rwanda’s creative industries, local artists, and the international promotion of Rwandan culture.She is fluent in Kinyarwanda (native), French, and has good working proficiency in English and Swahili.

Isabelle Kabano is regarded as one of the most prominent Rwandan actresses on the international stage. Her work often engages with themes of memory, trauma, resilience, and identity related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the broader Great Lakes region. Through both her performances and her involvement with cultural initiatives such as the Rwanda Arts Initiative, she contributes to the development and global visibility of Rwandan and African arts.