TORONTO - "War Witch" star Rachel Mwanza has gone from living on the streets in the capital of Congo to winning best-actress trophies at the Tribeca and Berlin film festivals.
Yet Kim Nguyen, the Montreal-born writer-director of the Canadian drama, says the situation is "not a fairytale for her."
Mwanza had never acted before she took on the role of a child soldier in the drama that's earning praise at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Nguyen said he has set up a four-year program for the now-15-year-old that includes getting her room and board, education and food in her hometown of Kinshasa.
But he added that the challenges are immense for her, noting the person who was providing her room and board hit her the other day and she had flee.
The Toronto International Film Festival ends Sunday.
