Hotel Rwanda
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
“Never again!� After the Holocaust, the Jewish survivors and witnesses of that great evil cried out that such a thing must never be allowed to happen again. Most of the world agreed and we cried out together, “Never again!� But, alas, the Nazis were not the first or last to try to wipe out an entire people. The Twentieth Century is filled with examples: Cambodia, Bosnia, Armenians, Rwanda. The Twenty-first Century is already witnessing genocide in the Sudan. And we always wonder, “How could this be happening again?�
Hotel Rwanda is a look at one of the heroic stories that took place in the midst of genocide. In 1994, there was a 100 day reign of terror in that small central African nation, during which up to 1,000,000 people were killed. The conflict was between Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, distinctions that had been unimportant until the Belgians controlled the country as a colony following World War I.
Paul Rusesabagina was a manager at a 5-star hotel in the capital, Kigali. Through his efforts, over 1200 people were kept safe, and eventually escaped the mass murder going on all around them. As the film opens, he is doing what he does best – minor bribes, placating people of power, securing their good will in case of trouble. He was a friend to generals, journalists, people on both sides of the civil war taking place. He reminded me very much of the “dishonest manager� in one of Jesus’ parables (Luke 16:1-9).
Paul was Hutu, but married to a Tutsi. When the killing started, his wife, children and neighbors were all targeted for death by the paramilitary bands going through neighborhoods hacking Tutsis to death. He managed to fill his hotel van and get them all to the hotel, where the UN peacekeepers were keeping foreign nationals safe.
Things only got worse. Soon all the foreign nationals left. More and more Tutsis found their way to the hotel for safety, but it was a very fragile safety. Time and time again, Paul was called on to use his resourcefulness when Hutus bands came to kill the Tutsis at the hotel. Even when he had a chance to leave with his family, he stayed to care for all those who were left. He faced death many times in this process. Even though he was Hutu, he was considered a traitor for harboring and caring for the Tutsis.
The film makes his efforts seem all the more laudable in the face of the world’s response to what was happening in Rwanda. Journalists told the world what was happening. A small UN force was present (but as peacekeepers were not to take part in the battles). The western nations deplored what was happening, but beyond getting their citizens out of the country, would do nothing to stop the bloodshed. Nations would not even clearly call this genocide, because to admit it was genocide would mean they must act.
In the film, the Canadian colonel of the UN force explains to Paul (with great disgust) that the rest of the world will do nothing; to the rest of the world Rwanda is nothing. “You aren’t even niggers, you’re Africans.� American and European viewers will know that they are being indicted and shamed by these charges.
Writer-director Terry George has provided an excellent vehicle for the world to see and to think about the way genocide continues to take place in the world in spite of our cries of “Never again!� I suspect that his life in Northern Ireland has influenced his view of such violence. Year after year, we continue to see variations of the theme of genocide being played out. There is surely much to consider once we come out of the theater after seeing Hotel Rwanda.
One of my reflections after seeing movie (in January 2005) was to compare it to the tragedy of the earthquake and tsunamis in Indonesia and South Asia. Well over 100,000 killed. Villages destroyed. People left homeless. The world is indeed responding with help, as we should. But that is a natural disaster which no one could have stopped. Consider that several times more people perished in horrific violence in this small country, and it could have been stopped. I am overjoyed that the world is reaching out to the suffering in South Asia. I wonder why we were so less concerned with even greater suffering that could have been prevented.
The film chose to center on Paul’s story. As such, we get almost no explanation of the political conflict going on. Nor is there an exploration of the geopolitical issues that led to the lack of anyone acting to stop this atrocity. That does leave a small hole in the film, in that the viewer may not understand why this is going on at all. This is a real, but minor problem with the film.
Another possible flaw is the way this film hits our emotions so strongly. My wife and I discussed afterwards if it were a bit over the top emotionally, or if it were appropriate to be so strong emotionally. Does the subject matter require it to hit you hard? Is it even possible for a film on this subject to be “too much� in its emotional manipulation? Perhaps we need that emotional kick to make us act so genocide will not happen again.
But the film has a more important message than the call to end genocide. That is the call to live for others.
Paul did not set out to save hundreds of people, only his family. But more and more, he saw that this was his task. Men and women, children including orphans, Hutus and Tutsis all owed their lives to this man.
He also reminded me of another character in one of Jesus’ parables, the one we call the Good Samaritan. That parable also is filled with ethnic tension. But Jesus used that parable to define “neighbor� not as one who is like us, but as one who shows mercy.
In a BBC radio essay, the real Paul Rusesabagina is quoted, “Being human is a mission of each and everyone. What I have done is what all the people are supposed to have done so there's no special lesson.�
Perhaps what he says is true; he only did what we all are supposed to do. But it is clear that in those months of 1994, there were very few people around the world, including people of power, who could have acted to stop or at least minimize this massacre, who did not do what they were supposed to do.
When the next genocide begins, will the world have learned anything from the heroic story of Paul Rusesabagina?
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
“Never again!� After the Holocaust, the Jewish survivors and witnesses of that great evil cried out that such a thing must never be allowed to happen again. Most of the world agreed and we cried out together, “Never again!� But, alas, the Nazis were not the first or last to try to wipe out an entire people. The Twentieth Century is filled with examples: Cambodia, Bosnia, Armenians, Rwanda. The Twenty-first Century is already witnessing genocide in the Sudan. And we always wonder, “How could this be happening again?�Hotel Rwanda is a look at one of the heroic stories that took place in the midst of genocide. In 1994, there was a 100 day reign of terror in that small central African nation, during which up to 1,000,000 people were killed. The conflict was between Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, distinctions that had been unimportant until the Belgians controlled the country as a colony following World War I.
Paul Rusesabagina was a manager at a 5-star hotel in the capital, Kigali. Through his efforts, over 1200 people were kept safe, and eventually escaped the mass murder going on all around them. As the film opens, he is doing what he does best – minor bribes, placating people of power, securing their good will in case of trouble. He was a friend to generals, journalists, people on both sides of the civil war taking place. He reminded me very much of the “dishonest manager� in one of Jesus’ parables (Luke 16:1-9).Paul was Hutu, but married to a Tutsi. When the killing started, his wife, children and neighbors were all targeted for death by the paramilitary bands going through neighborhoods hacking Tutsis to death. He managed to fill his hotel van and get them all to the hotel, where the UN peacekeepers were keeping foreign nationals safe.
Things only got worse. Soon all the foreign nationals left. More and more Tutsis found their way to the hotel for safety, but it was a very fragile safety. Time and time again, Paul was called on to use his resourcefulness when Hutus bands came to kill the Tutsis at the hotel. Even when he had a chance to leave with his family, he stayed to care for all those who were left. He faced death many times in this process. Even though he was Hutu, he was considered a traitor for harboring and caring for the Tutsis.The film makes his efforts seem all the more laudable in the face of the world’s response to what was happening in Rwanda. Journalists told the world what was happening. A small UN force was present (but as peacekeepers were not to take part in the battles). The western nations deplored what was happening, but beyond getting their citizens out of the country, would do nothing to stop the bloodshed. Nations would not even clearly call this genocide, because to admit it was genocide would mean they must act.
In the film, the Canadian colonel of the UN force explains to Paul (with great disgust) that the rest of the world will do nothing; to the rest of the world Rwanda is nothing. “You aren’t even niggers, you’re Africans.� American and European viewers will know that they are being indicted and shamed by these charges.Writer-director Terry George has provided an excellent vehicle for the world to see and to think about the way genocide continues to take place in the world in spite of our cries of “Never again!� I suspect that his life in Northern Ireland has influenced his view of such violence. Year after year, we continue to see variations of the theme of genocide being played out. There is surely much to consider once we come out of the theater after seeing Hotel Rwanda.
One of my reflections after seeing movie (in January 2005) was to compare it to the tragedy of the earthquake and tsunamis in Indonesia and South Asia. Well over 100,000 killed. Villages destroyed. People left homeless. The world is indeed responding with help, as we should. But that is a natural disaster which no one could have stopped. Consider that several times more people perished in horrific violence in this small country, and it could have been stopped. I am overjoyed that the world is reaching out to the suffering in South Asia. I wonder why we were so less concerned with even greater suffering that could have been prevented.The film chose to center on Paul’s story. As such, we get almost no explanation of the political conflict going on. Nor is there an exploration of the geopolitical issues that led to the lack of anyone acting to stop this atrocity. That does leave a small hole in the film, in that the viewer may not understand why this is going on at all. This is a real, but minor problem with the film.
Another possible flaw is the way this film hits our emotions so strongly. My wife and I discussed afterwards if it were a bit over the top emotionally, or if it were appropriate to be so strong emotionally. Does the subject matter require it to hit you hard? Is it even possible for a film on this subject to be “too much� in its emotional manipulation? Perhaps we need that emotional kick to make us act so genocide will not happen again.
But the film has a more important message than the call to end genocide. That is the call to live for others.
Paul did not set out to save hundreds of people, only his family. But more and more, he saw that this was his task. Men and women, children including orphans, Hutus and Tutsis all owed their lives to this man.
He also reminded me of another character in one of Jesus’ parables, the one we call the Good Samaritan. That parable also is filled with ethnic tension. But Jesus used that parable to define “neighbor� not as one who is like us, but as one who shows mercy.
In a BBC radio essay, the real Paul Rusesabagina is quoted, “Being human is a mission of each and everyone. What I have done is what all the people are supposed to have done so there's no special lesson.�Perhaps what he says is true; he only did what we all are supposed to do. But it is clear that in those months of 1994, there were very few people around the world, including people of power, who could have acted to stop or at least minimize this massacre, who did not do what they were supposed to do.
When the next genocide begins, will the world have learned anything from the heroic story of Paul Rusesabagina?
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
3 Comments:
...No little irony that there are no comments- in over a month- to your remarks. I followed the political situation both here and in Rwanda during the massacre as a mid-level anti-hunger lobbyist for a major Protestant denomination. So many people- many of a "religious persuasion"- including the American ambassador to Rwanda who had grown up there- did nothing; no one spoke for intervention. Apart from the current massacres in the Darfur region of the Sudan, word has come that much of the original Rwandan violence is being revisited in the eastern part of the Congo, from Goma- where people originally settled- and new massacres are now extending well into the Kasai. I am fighting despair even as I write and call my legislative representatives in D.C. and e-mail my denomination's relief agencies. I suspect that this remains the only way to not give in to absolute despair, nor into a foolish optimism. Thank you for providing one forum to air this issue. Any suggestions as to how to further publicize this issue?
I do remember seeing an article around the time I posted the review that suggested in 10 years we'll be watching the film Hotel Congo. Personally, I can't help feeling that a part of the reason we pay so little attention to Africa is part of the systemic racism that infects our society. To be sure, there are other reasons as well, nothing is a simple as one reason, but I have little doubt that this is a big part of our apathy.
Perhaps some of the buzz from Academy Award nominations will get more people to the film to get some idea of what does go on. And as more people begin to speak out, perhaps the world will begin to stop such genocides.
Something is happening.. Check out 100 days of hope at www.hoperwanda.org
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