On 1 September 2025 the Kigali Genocide Memorial welcomed Michelle Yeoh, internationally renowned actress and Academy Award winner, together with her husband, Jean Todt, former President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). During their visit, they honoured the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and toured the Memorial’s exhibitions, reflecting on the history, and Rwanda’s journey of recovery.
For Michelle Yeoh, who was visiting Rwanda for the very first time, the experience was deeply moving:
“This museum is the first place that I visited, and this is my first visit in Rwanda. I must say I’m a little overwhelmed by the whole experience as I think anyone who finds themselves faced with so much heartbreak and horrors of what happened to your beautiful country and so many beautiful faces, especially when you walk through and you see all those babies who should have had a future.”
Despite the overwhelming sadness of what she encountered, Michelle also spoke about the inspiration she drew from the Memorial’s message of remembrance and resilience:
“By the end of the tour, what I am most inspired by is the remembrance and learning from it. I think the motto for this place is to inspire people to say: yes, this happened, but we must learn to have kindness in our hearts with each other, for each other, to each other so that we can move forward… Don’t forget, remember, but you have to learn to forgive and move forward together.”
Lessons for the World
Reflecting on Rwanda’s resilience, Michelle highlighted lessons for a global audience:
“It’s very sad when people are instilled with hatred and taught to be divided and this divisiveness still prevails today in many of our societies. Our world cannot tolerate another kind of this, this kind of us fighting amongst ourselves, because this is our planet, it belongs to all of us. Horrible tragedies of the past should serve as a hard lesson, but a lesson learned so that we can move forward as a whole, united front.”
The Power of Storytelling and Art
As a celebrated artist, Michelle also underscored the role of art in spreading messages of peace and humanity to wide audiences:
“All of us are ambassadors for peace, all of us are ambassadors for humanity. Remember we have a superpower that’s kindness. We all have that.”
The Kigali Genocide Memorial is privileged to have welcomed Michelle Yeoh and Jean Todt. Their visit not only paid tribute to the victims but amplified the importance of remembrance, kindness, and shared humanity.
