Hotel Rwanda
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 British-Italian-South African historical drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay written by both George and Keir Pearson. It stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on the Rwandan Genocide, which occurred during the spring of 1994, the film, which has been called an African Schindler's List, documents Rusesabagina's acts to save the lives of his family and more than a thousand other refugees by providing them with shelter in the besieged Hôtel des Mille Collines. Hotel Rwanda explores genocide, political corruption, and the repercussions of violence.
The film was a co-production between United Artists and Lions Gate Films. It was commercially distributed by United Artists theatrically and by MGM Home Entertainment for home media. As an independent film, it had an initial limited release in theaters; but it was nominated for multiple awards, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. The film also won a number of awards including those from the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals. On January 11, 2005, the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released by the Commotion label. It features songs written by several recording artists including Wyclef Jean and Deborah Cox. The film score was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, Andrea Guerra, and the Afro Celt Sound System.
Hotel Rwanda premiered in theaters in limited release in the United States on December 22, 2004, and in wide release on February 4, 2005, grossing more than $23 million in domestic ticket sales. It earned an additional $10 million in business through international release to top out at a combined total near $34 million in gross revenue. The film was technically considered a moderate financial success after its theatrical run, and was met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. The Blu-ray Disc edition of the film featuring special documentaries along with selected scenes and audio commentary, was released in the United States on May 10, 2011.
Plot
Tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples lead to a civil war in Rwanda, where corruption and bribes between politicians are routine. Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle), the manager of the Sabena owned Hôtel des Mille Collines, is Hutu, but his wife Tatiana (Okonedo), is Tutsi. His marriage is a source of friction with Hutu extremists, most especially Georges Rutaganda (Kae-Kazim), a friendly goods supplier to the hotel who is also the local leader of Interahamwe, a brutal Hutu militia.
As the political situation in the country worsens following the assassination of the president, Paul and his family observe neighbours being killed, initiating the early stages of the genocide. Paul curries favour with people of influence, bribing them with money and alcohol, seeking to maintain sufficient influence to keep his family safe. When civil war erupts and a Rwandan Army officer threatens Paul and his neighbours, Paul barely negotiates their safety, bringing them to the hotel. More evacuees arrive at the hotel from the overburdened UN refugee camp, the Red Cross and various orphanages. As the situation becomes more violent, Paul must divert the Hutu soldiers, care for the refugees, be a source of strength for his family and maintain the appearance of a functioning hotel. Paul drives to Georges Rutaganda (Vice president of the Interahamwe) to collect his supplies for the hotel. He witnesses Tutsi hostages being treated violently by the Hutu militia. Georges explains to Paul that the "rich cockroachs'" money is going to be valueless because all of the Tutsis will be dead. Paul doesn't believe that the Hutu extremists will wipe out all of the Tutsis. Georges replies "Why not, we are halfway there already." With a driver, Paul returns to the hotel through thick fog in the dark on a road that Georges recommends. At one point, Paul believes they have taken the wrong road and tells the driver to stop. When Paul goes outside, he sees the riverside road is full of bodies. He realises that Georges was correct in his estimation that half the Tutsis are already dead.
The UN peacekeeping forces, led by Canadian Colonel Oliver (Nolte), are unable to take assertive action against the Interahamwe because they are forbidden to intervene in the conflict and prevent the genocide. The foreign nationals are evacuated, but the Rwandans are left behind. When the UN forces attempt to evacuate a group of refugees, including Paul's family, they are ambushed and must turn back. In a last-ditch effort to save the refugees, Paul pleads with the Rwandan army general, Augustin Bizimungu (Mokoena) for assistance. However, when Paul's bribes no longer work, he blackmails the general with threats of him being tried as a war criminal if he doesn't help. Soon after, the family and the hotel refugees are finally able to leave the besieged hotel in a UN convoy. They travel through retreating masses of refugees and militia to reach safety behind Tutsi rebel lines.
The film's epilogue includes details in the credits of the number of Rwandan refugees at the Hôtel des Mille Collines that Rusesabagina saved (1,268), and that he now lives in Belgium with his family. It also notes that Rutaganda and General Bizimungu were tried and convicted by the UN for war crimes in 2002, while also adding that the genocide that ended in July 1994 left almost a million people dead.
Cast
- Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina
- Sophie Okonedo as Tatiana Rusesabagina
- Nick Nolte as Colonel Oliver (based on Roméo Dallaire)
- Joaquin Phoenix as Jack Daglish
- Fana Mokoena as General Augustin Bizimungu
- Cara Seymour as Pat Archer
- Jean Reno as Sabena Airlines President Mr. Tillens (uncredited)
- Tony Kgoroge as Gregoire
- Desmond Dube as Dube
- Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Georges Rutaganda
- Leleti Khumalo as Fedens
- Antonio Lyons as Thomas Mirama
