Bringing the message home

Have you ever watched a movie where the actors’ mouths move, but the words come a little too late or too early? It’s distracting, right? You lose focus and eventually, you stop caring about the story.

How do we avoid the mistakes we’ve seen so many times before? That was one of our biggest fears when we at Three Mountains won this exciting (and honestly, slightly intimidating) assignment: to dub 10 videos on sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace.  Sexual harassment and misconduct are tough topics. They’re often brushed under the carpet. But these videos make the conversation easier to start.

These videos were originally made for a Kenyan audience in Kiswahili, but the message they carry is universal and very much needed here in Rwanda and more importantly in our mother tongue language. We wanted to make sure that when people here watch them, they don’t just hear the words, they feel them.

The videos highlight serious forms of harassment in workplaces and daily life, such as bullying co-workers by spreading rumors about them having affairs with their bosses, employees being harassed by their employers through unwanted touches or demands for sexual favors with punishments when they refuse, attempts to drug someone while drinking together to exploit them sexually, harassing sellers through inappropriate touching or dirty comments because you think their need to make money leaves them with no choice and people seeking funding for their business ideas being pressured by those in power with promises like ‘I can help you get the funding, but you have to give me something in return referring to sexual favors. By exposing these forms of harassment, the videos aim to break the silence around such behaviors and encourage everyone to recognize them and empower them to stand up against harassment in all its forms to avoid violation of human dignity.

It’s funny to think back how we used to laugh at poorly dubbed films as kids. And now here we are, putting so much care, precision, and purpose into getting it right. As the Three Mountains team, we decided to handle this ourselves. Our own talented team members became the Kinyarwanda voice actors not just reading lines but truly bringing them to life. In the studio, we paused, replayed, and retook sentences over and over again. Why? Because every pause, every breath, every emotion had to feel authentic and match what was on screen.  

And yet, some moments were not easy. There was one scene where I had to sound like I was crying and even had the flu, weak, sad, and broken. Getting that voice wasn’t simple. The director did something I never expected: he actually strangled me lightly not to harm me, but to make the voice crack just right, to sound like true sorrow. It was surprising, even shocking at first, but it worked. That moment reminded me how far we sometimes go to make sure every word feels real.

When we finally watched the finished videos, we couldn’t help but smile. The voices matched perfectly, and the emotions felt real, it worked. For us, this project wasn’t just about completing the dubbing assignment given by GIZ. It was about creating something that feels truly Rwandan, a resource that can spark conversations, challenge behaviors, and make workplaces safer. When GIZ reviewed the first drafts, they said “You have done an outstanding job of matching the words with body language, linking the emotions of the actors and actresses with the narration, and maintaining a conversational tone throughout.” This confirmed that the videos met their expectations.

We’re proud not just because the videos turned out great but because this project reminded us of something important: every voice matters. So, next time you watch a dubbed video, and the words sync perfectly with the lips, know this: it’s not luck. It’s hours of care, skill, and a team who believes in the message.

For us, this was one of those moments.

Clemence Ineza