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Young actress from Congo granted visa for Oscars

Congolese actress Rachel Mwanza poses with her Silver Bear for Best Actress in the film 'Rebelle' at the Award Winners Press Conference during day ten of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival.
Photographer: (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Copyright Getty Images

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Posted: 02/20/2013

By: Associated Press

NEW YORK - The 16-year-old star of the Oscar-nominated "War Witch" has been granted a visa to travel from Congo for the Academy Awards.

The film's distributor, Tribeca Film, said Wednesday that Rachel Mwanza will be able to attend upcoming award shows, including Sunday's Oscars.

"War Witch," directed by Montreal filmmaker Kim Nguyen, is nominated for best foreign language film as Canada's submission.

Shot entirely in the Congo, Mwanza was cast despite no prior acting experience. She had been living at her grandmother's house and on the streets before Nguyen picked her to play a child soldier caught up in an unspecified African revolution.

Mwanza won best actress at both the Berlin Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival last year. "War Witch" opens in New York theaters March 1.