Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Paul Rusesabagina was a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda.

Director:

Terry George

Writers:

Keir Pearson, Terry George

Stars:

Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix

Top Rated Movies #192 | Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 45 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Don Cheadle	...	Paul Rusesabagina
Xolani Mali	...	Policeman
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

Storyline

1994. In Rwanda, the classification of the native population into Hutus and Tutsis, arbitrarily done by the colonial Belgians, is now ingrained within Rwandan mentality despite the Rwandan independence. Despite the Belgians having placed the Tutsis in a higher position during the Belgian rule, they have placed the majority Hutus in power after independence. Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu married to a Tutsi, Tatiana Rusesabagina, is the House Manager of the Hotel Des Milles Collines in Kigali. The Milles Collines, owned by Sabena (the national airline of Belgium), is a four-star hotel catering primarily to wealthy white westerners. Paul, who knows how to work the system to run the hotel effectively for its guests and for Sabena, is proud that most of the Caucasians who he meets in this professional capacity treat him with respect. After a specific incident, the relative calm between the Tutsi guerrillas and government-backed Hutu militia takes a turn. Paul's thought that the native ...

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Plot Keywords:

central africa | ethnic warfare | mass murder | hotel | tutsi | 

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Taglines:

When a country descended into madness and the world turned its back, one man had to make a choice

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Filmexport [France] MGM/United Artists [United States]

Country:

UK South Africa Italy

Language:

English French

Release Date:

4 February 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hotel Ruanda

Filming Locations:

Rwanda

Box Office

Budget:

$17,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£381,601 (United Kingdom), 4 March 2005, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$100,091, 26 December 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$23,530,892

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$36,532,987

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists, Lions Gate Films, Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In April 2010, then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown admitted that the film had made him cry.

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Goofs

In chapter 2 when the Cuban lobsters are plunked haphazardly onto the table and floor, the chef instantly proclaims "10 are alive, 12 are dead." He makes this surprisingly precise calculation in under 3 seconds, without having had time to examine and number the crustaceans. Some of them were never even within his line of vision. (In the shooting script, the lobster scene was longer, and filled with comic relief and light hearted dramatic irony, providing a sharp contrast to the forthcoming war horrors.)

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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. They are murderers. Rwanda is our Hutu land. We are the majority. They are a minority of traitors and invaders. We will squash the infestation. We will wipe out the RPF rebels. This is RTLM, Hutu power radio. Stay ...

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Crazy Credits

The producers wish to thank the people of Alexandra and Thembisa, Johannesburg, S.A.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Sex and the City 2 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Yariz' Ampeka
Written by Dorothee Munyaneza / Afro Celt Sound System (Simon Emmerson (as Emmerson) / James McNally (as McNally) / Iarla O'Lionaird (as O'Lionaird) / Martin Russell (as Russell))
Published by Real World Music Ltd.
Arranged, produced, engineered & mixed by Martin Russell at Sonic Innovation 2/UK
(p) 2004 Afro Celt Sound System appear courtesy of Real World Records Ltd.

User Reviews

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.