Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Director:

Terry George

Writers (WGA):

Keir Pearson (written by) &
Terry George (written by)

Release Date:

4 February 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Thriller | War

Tagline:

A true story of a man who fought impossible odds to save everyone he could and created a place where hope survived.

Plot:

The true-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Hotel Manager | Atrocity | Militia | Rwanda

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 29 nominations

Cast

Xolani Mali	...	Policeman
Don Cheadle	...	Paul Rusesabagina
Desmond Dube	...	Dube
Hakeem Kae-Kazim	...	George Rutaganda
Tony Kgoroge	...	Gregoire
Rosie Motene	...	Receptionist
Neil McCarthy	...	Jean Jacques
Mabutho 'Kid' Sithole	...	Head Chef (as Kid Sithole)
Nick Nolte	...	Colonel Oliver
Fana Mokoena	...	General Bizimungu
Jeremiah Ndlovu	...	Old Guard
Sophie Okonedo	...	Tatiana Rusesabagina
Lebo Mashile	...	Odette
Antonio David Lyons	...	Thomas Mirama
Leleti Khumalo	...	Fedens

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for violence, disturbing images and brief strong language.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

UK | USA | Italy | South Africa

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Indonesia:Dewasa | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Hungary:14 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:12 | Malaysia:18PL (DVD) | Sweden:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating on appeal) (certificate #41018) | USA:R (original rating) | New Zealand:M | Philippines:R-13

Filming Locations:

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

The screenwriter spent one year writing the first draft of the script. During the process, he called the Rwandan embassy in DC. The woman who picked up the phone was a survivor who stayed at the Milles Collines Hotel.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where it is raining, it can be seen the sun is shining in the distance in a couple of shots looking away from the hotel. The reflection off Dube's wet coat also looks like sunshine.

Quotes:

[first lines]
George Rutaganda: [voiceover] When people ask me, good listeners, why do I hate all the Tutsi, I say, "Read our history." The Tutsi were collaborators for the Belgian colonists, they stole our Hutu land, they whipped us. Now they have come back, these Tutsi rebels. They are cockroaches...

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

At the Warehouse

A Must See!

I was fortunate to attend a pre-screening of this intense picture in San Diego this week. The film is one of the most gritty, intense,factual dramas in the past few years. Terry George, Don Cheadle, and all who were involved should be praised for their work. The Rwanda Crisis in 1994 was a horrific atrocity, but it must be made known to the world. Many people don't know about politics and Africa and other troubled nations throughout the globe.

It would have been easy for the crew to give a one-sided tale about the horror of war and fill a 90 minute picture with nothing but blood and guts. It would have been easy to "shame the world" by painting a picture of a negligent international community who has larger concerns than the Rwandan people.

But the crew of this film put together a film that will resonate for many years. It involved politics, culture, family, religion, race, and many other questions of ethics. It told the WHOLE story from all perspectives and made you see the HUMANITY.

This film is a must see for anyone who claims oppression or has an interest in international affairs. It was almost like watching a documentary. This was a real event, with real people, and real consequences. If more people knew about these atrocities maybe something could be done.

I am pulling for "Hotel Rwanda" to do well this awards season. It should at least get nominated for Director, Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Picture. I haven't seen Ray, the Aviator, or Kinsey yet, but I must say Don Cheadle needs to be commended for his work. Too long has he been overlooked for his fine performances and he truly embodies Paul and takes the movie to new places.

Tell your friends to stay at the Hotel Rwanda, or at least fork up the ten dollars to see an actual work of art, instead of watching the trash on television.