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 #223 | Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 45 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

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:

rwanda | ethnic warfare | mass murder | hate monger | hotel | 

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Taglines:

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

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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:

Kinyarwanda English French

Release Date:

4 February 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hotel Rwanda

Filming Locations:

Rwanda

Box Office

Budget:

$17,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$100,091, 26 December 2004

Gross USA:

$23,530,892

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$33,882,243

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

It was later revealed by one of the survivors of the hotel, Pasa Mwenenganucye, that Paul Rusesabagina, was not as heroic as he was depicted to be. The people who sought shelter at his hotel were made to pay for their stay, with priorities given to the wealthier people. The backlash was so bad, that Rusesabagina was pressured into cancelling an appearance at a Canadian festival by members of Toronto's Rwandan community, who accused him of being "genocide revisionist and denier." The head of the UN's peacekeeping force in Rwanda at the time, Canadian Romeo Dallaire, addressed the controversy by simply calling the movie "okay". Despite all the allegations, Paul Rusesabagina has stood by the movie and denied all claims of any wrongdoing on his part.

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Goofs

Someone said early in the film that the Hutu-Tutsi distinction was introduced by Belgian colonizers. In fact, the distinction had existed beforehand (e.g. King Kigeli IV of Rwanda was a Tutsi), but the divide had been less marked before Belgian rule.

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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

Part of the profits from this film shall go to The Rwandese Survivors Fund.

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Connections

Spoofed in Robot Chicken: Password: Swordfish (2006)

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Soundtracks

Umqombothi
Written by Attie Van Wyk & Chiccotwala
Performed by Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Published by Universal Music Publishing Ltd. on behalf of Tela Music
Courtesy of Universal Records

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.