Hotel Rwanda (2004)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

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

Also Known As:

Hotel Ruanda (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Hôtel Rwanda (Canada: French title) [fr]
Hotel Ruanda (Poland) [pl]
Hotel Ruanda (Germany) [de]
Hotel Rwanda (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Hotel Rwanda (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Hotel Rwanda (Argentina) (cable TV title) [es]
Hotel Rwanda (Czech Republic) [cs]
Hotel Rwanda (Slovakia) [sk]
Hotel Rwanda (Greece) [el]
Hotel Rwanda - La matanza (Venezuela) [es]
Hotelli Ruanda (Finland) [fi]

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: Colonel Oliver says many words which have a distinctive Canadian pronunciation - words which this "Canadian" character speaks with an American accent.

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:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

Hutu Power Re-visited

a great one

I have no doubt that this is the only movie for the past year that can get me totally, if not 101%, emotionally involved. For other movies, I might be interacting with the story a lot , say associating my personal experiences with the characters, making judgment on them, criticizing the development of the story, ways of expression, the cinematography, acting, etc. BUT, Hotel Rwanda simply took me over as I was watching it. My emotion was going along with Paul ( Don Cheadle) all the time. The director did a great great job in capturing the feelings of people facing uncertainty, horror, ridicules, anger, death, waning faith... Family, life and dignity/integrity become the largest things in the situation. What's more is that it squarely shows the realist thinking in international politics.It honestly shows the weakness or helplessness of the UN and the non-governmental organizations. It truthfully tells how indifferent most of the international community (or individuals, which may or may not include you and me) are towards the deprivation of social justice taking place in other parts of the world. It makes you question to what extent that it is true to say what we see ( the sufferings in the world) is what we tolerate. It shows you how monstrous human being can be. It scares you how sanity would fail. At the same time, the uglier the people become, the more beautiful you find those who have managed to keep brave and maintain humanity. The movie fully succeeds in showing me the spirit, faith, and compassion that the world is dreaming for.