Beyond the Gates (2005)

In April 1994, after the airplane of the Hutu President of Rwanda is shot down, the Hutu militias slaughter the Tutsi population. In the Ecole Technique Officielle, the Catholic priest ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Caton-Jones

Writers:

David Wolstencroft (screenplay), Richard Alwyn (story)

Stars:

John Hurt, Hugh Dancy, Dominique Horwitz

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
John Hurt	...	Christopher
Hugh Dancy	...	Joe Connor
Dominique Horwitz	...	Capitaine Charles Delon
Louis Mahoney	...	Sibomana
Nicola Walker	...	Rachel
Steve Toussaint	...	Roland
David Gyasi	...	François
Susan Nalwoga	...	Edda
Victor Power	...	Julius
Jack Pierce	...	Mark
Musa Kasonka Jr.	...	Boniface
Kizito Ssentamu Kayiira	...	Pierre
Clare-Hope Ashitey	...	Marie
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Shepherd	...	Belgian Soldier

Storyline

In April 1994, after the airplane of the Hutu President of Rwanda is shot down, the Hutu militias slaughter the Tutsi population. In the Ecole Technique Officielle, the Catholic priest Christopher and the idealistic English teacher Joe Connor lodge two thousand five hundred Rwandans refugees, under the protection of the Belgian U.N. force, and under siege by Hutu militia. When the Tutsi refugees are abandoned by the U.N., they are murdered by the extremist militia.

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Plot Keywords:

tutsi | hutu | militia | catholic | priest | 

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Taglines:

What would you risk to make a difference?

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images and language

Details

Official Sites:

BBC Films Official site

Country:

UK Germany

Language:

English French

Release Date:

31 March 2006 (UK)

Also Known As:

Beyond the Gates

Filming Locations:

Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

CrossDay Productions Ltd., ARTE, BBC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The characters are fictional, but the events are not. Parts of the film were shot at Ecole Technique Officielle (E.T.O.), a high school in Kigali, where the actual events took place. The title of the film comes from the fact that U.N. peacekeepers used to shoot local dogs that fed on the decomposing bodies of the genocide victims.

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Goofs

The French troops who conduct the evacuation of whites from the school appear to use Land Rover Defenders. The light transport vehicle of the contemporary French troops is the Peugeot P-4, a French-made version of the Mercedes G-Wagen.

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Quotes

Christopher: I'll see to that after Mass.
Joe Connor: Mass?
Christopher: I'm a priest in a Catholic country, Joe. This is what I do.
Joe Connor: Yeah, sure. But do you think it is the best time for that?
Christopher: In times of stress, people need to commune with God.
Joe Connor: I think maybe they'd prefer some food, water, a spot of reassurance.
Christopher: Well, come to Mass-get all three on the same ticket.

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Crazy Credits

Before the credits we are shown photographs of Rwanda genocide survivors who served as on set crew members. Next to each picture is text stating how many loved ones they lost.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: 300/The Namesake/I Think I Love My Wife/Beyond the Gates/The Host (2007)

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Soundtracks

Baptism Song

User Reviews

Deeply moving

It is rare to see a film that has as great an impact as Shooting Dogs. The shocking story of the massacres in Rwanda is told in a setting that is both personal and global.

Great acting, a fine script and good pace... a level of craftsmanship worthy of the magnitude of the subject of this film.

On rare occasions, a story is so shattering it needs only to be toned down for audiences to take it all in. This true story needed to be told, and for us to hear it. Hopefully, after seeing this movie, you will not be as pessimistic about the future of Central Africa as I've become.

The closing credits are well worth sticking around for.