Hotel Rwanda

This film is one of the more obvious in our series but that doesn’t make it any less powerful; in fact it might make it more powerful.   Beyond the basic storyline of Paul Rusesabagina’s inspiring efforts to use his hotel to keep his family and those around him safe from the Rwandan genocide, Hotel Rwanda looks at how the world and the media played a role in the genocide.  One of the most powerful moments in the film comes when Paul (Don Cheadle) is thanking a reporter (Joaquin Phoenix) for capturing footage of what is happening:

Paul Rusesabagina: I am glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it. It is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene.
Jack: Yeah and if no one intervenes, is it still a good thing to show?
Paul Rusesabagina: How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?
Jack: I think if people see this footage they’ll say, “oh my God that’s horrible,” and then go on eating their dinners.
[pause]

It’s a very important moment that is hard to forget, it implicates all of us in the Rwandan genocide and for other atrocities that occur every day.  On that same note, the scene where Paul tells the hotel guests to call all the influential people they know, as he doesn’t think any help is coming, also hits very close to home.  It’s a small moment but it speaks to how our world works and how decisions are made - decisions that can mean life or death for an entire country of people.

Hotel Rwanda is an Academy Award® winning film of great performances, the story of a true hero and the realities of the world we live in. It earns all the praise it has garnered and the change it has helped to create.

Watch this film to see how it pushed the envelope and then takepart to help end the current situation in Darfur.

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