Location scouting in Rwanda: planning where to film

Rwanda offers a wide range of filming locations within a few hours' drive: Kigali's streets and markets, terraced hillsides, tea estates, lakeshores, health centres, schools and cooperatives. That variety makes it tempting to choose places because they look good. Strong location scouting in Rwanda works the other way round.

Begin with the script, treatment or interview plan. For each scene, write down what the location must show, who will appear, what time of day it should be and how much space the crew needs. A school scene for a learning programme needs a working classroom, not an empty one. A farmer's story needs her own field, not a picturesque one an hour away. This scene list becomes your brief for the scout.

Desk research narrows the options. Ask programme staff and partners where the work actually happens, look at maps and recent photographs, and note travel times between sites. Group locations by district so that each shooting day stays in one area and the crew spends its time filming rather than driving.

Film offices elsewhere treat this early stage as a normal part of production. Creative England's checklist for incoming productions notes that first enquiries may only be for location suggestions, and that before approving a request a location should be checked against the production's requirements, with any restrictions recorded.¹ Keep a simple shortlist for each scene, with a first choice and a back-up.

A recce, or reconnaissance visit, is where a shortlist becomes a plan. The same Creative England checklist describes recces that flag limitations such as pre-scheduled events, closures and limited parking access, and propose workarounds where possible.¹ In our own practice, we visit at the same time of day we intend to film, so that light, noise and activity are what the crew will actually meet.

Take photographs and short video clips from likely camera positions, note GPS points and record the name and phone number of the person who can grant access. These notes let people who could not attend the visit, such as the director or the client, judge the location for themselves. On each recce, check:

• Access: road condition, walking distance with kit, and where vehicles can park.
• Light: where the sun will be at your shooting time and where shade falls.
• Sound: traffic, generators, music, livestock, school breaks and prayer times.
• Power and signal: sockets, charging options and mobile coverage.
• Space: room for camera, lights and crew without disrupting the work being filmed.
• Safety: slopes, water, traffic, crowds and the nearest health facility.
• People: who lives, works or passes through, and who needs to be asked.

Two layers of permission apply. The first is the national photography and video shooting permit, issued by the Ministry of Youth through IremboGov, which allows Rwandan and foreign production companies and individuals to shoot in public for documentaries and fiction films.² Irembo states a processing time of four days, so apply well before the crew arrives.²

The second layer is local. Irembo notes that the permit does not exempt a crew from formalities that local authorities request on site, including authorisations for drones and special equipment.² Private homes, businesses, hospitals, schools and protected areas each need their own agreement. London's code of practice for location filming advises approaching the owner of private property directly.³ If you plan aerial shots, read our guide to drone filming in Rwanda, because drone flights need separate approvals from the aviation regulator.

Put every location agreement in writing, even a short letter or message. Creative England notes that location agreements can set vital terms of use, including safety precautions and restrictions on furniture, lighting and rigging.¹ Agree the dates, hours, areas you may use and who will be present on the day, and keep a copy on the shoot.

A location is also a community. The Film London code asks productions to consult residents and businesses that may be affected, before and during the shoot, and to share dates, times and contact details with them in advance.³ In a Rwandan village or busy Kigali neighbourhood, that often means introducing the crew to the local leader and explaining what you will film and why.

Recce photographs and notes often include people, houses and phone numbers. Rwanda's law on the protection of personal data was gazetted on 15 October 2021, and the Ministry of ICT and Innovation describes clear and unambiguous consent to the collection, storage and processing of personal data as one of its core tenets.⁴ Store recce material securely, share it only with the crew, and ask permission before photographing people at a location.

Weather shapes access as much as the image. Meteo Rwanda notes that two rainy seasons are generally distinguishable, one centred around March to May and the other around October to December.⁵ Heavy rain can turn rural roads to mud and fill an afternoon with cloud, so build spare days into the schedule and check unpaved routes again shortly before the shoot. The agency also notes that temperatures vary little through the year.⁵

Daylight is consistent because Rwanda sits close to the equator. In Kigali, the length of the day changes by only around a quarter of an hour across the year, from about 12 hours at the June solstice to about 12 hours and 14 minutes in December, with sunset close to 6 pm.⁶ That predictability helps planning: you can fix sunrise and sunset shots weeks ahead, but there is little evening light to rescue a scene that overruns.

Turn recce notes into a location sheet for each day: address, GPS point, contact, parking, the nearest toilets and health facility, and agreed filming hours. Share it with the whole crew and your local contacts. The Film London code also expects risk assessments, with the producer holding ultimate responsibility, and asks that generator positions and any audio playback be agreed in advance.³

When filming ends, clear all litter and return the location and its surroundings to the condition in which they were found.³ Thank the owner and community, and send them a copy of the finished film or photographs where you can. Good relationships make the next request easier, for you and for every crew that follows.

• Scene list with what each location must show
• Shortlist with a first choice and a back-up per scene
• Recce at the planned shooting time, with photos and GPS points
• National shooting permit applied for in good time
• Written agreement from every owner or authority
• Neighbours and local leaders informed
• Schedule checked against rainy seasons and daylight
• Location sheet and risk assessment shared with the crew