A bottle of Scotch for another week of life?
Title: Hotel Rwanda
Year: 2004
Director: Terry George
Writers: Terry George & Keir Pearson
My Take: I was fortunate enough to attend a private screening of Hotel Rwanda in the MGM Screening Room in Manhattan. Based on a true story, the film centers around the experiences of a Rwandan hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, played by Don Cheadle. He's of hutu decent and is married to a tutsi woman. When the hutus begin killing tutsis in a blatant act of genocide, Paul begins harboring tutsis in his hotel. As supplies dwindle and foreign military intervention does not materialize, the situation at the hotel becomes increasingly perilous. I won't divulge any more of the story.
This film, based on the 1994 genocide of nearly one million Rwandans, is particularly appropos at this time, because it clearly demonstrates that the international community is not interested in protecting civilians in countries that lack natural resources. In the wake of the Somalian debacle, the US and its allies were loathe to enter into Rwanda to end the genocide. Today similar atrocities are occurring in Sudan and the international community is again turning a blind eye as hundreds of thousands of Africans are murdered. These are countries without oil or mineral deposits worth exploiting. Instead, comparably minor human rights violations are justification for invasion for resource rich or strategically located countries around the globe. The duplicity is disheartening at best, criminal at worst. It is past time for the West to take a long hard look at its motivation for international intervention. Hopefully this film will help create a groundswell of support for true humanitarian interventions.
Paul Rusesabagina himself was available for a Q&A after the film. There wasn't a dry eye on the place and he received two standing ovations. During my lifetime I've met any number of celebrities, politicians, and professional athletes. Never have I been more proud to shake someone's hand.
The Verdict: Every so often a film challenges your world view. For me, this was one of those films.
Year: 2004
Director: Terry George
Writers: Terry George & Keir Pearson
My Take: I was fortunate enough to attend a private screening of Hotel Rwanda in the MGM Screening Room in Manhattan. Based on a true story, the film centers around the experiences of a Rwandan hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, played by Don Cheadle. He's of hutu decent and is married to a tutsi woman. When the hutus begin killing tutsis in a blatant act of genocide, Paul begins harboring tutsis in his hotel. As supplies dwindle and foreign military intervention does not materialize, the situation at the hotel becomes increasingly perilous. I won't divulge any more of the story.
This film, based on the 1994 genocide of nearly one million Rwandans, is particularly appropos at this time, because it clearly demonstrates that the international community is not interested in protecting civilians in countries that lack natural resources. In the wake of the Somalian debacle, the US and its allies were loathe to enter into Rwanda to end the genocide. Today similar atrocities are occurring in Sudan and the international community is again turning a blind eye as hundreds of thousands of Africans are murdered. These are countries without oil or mineral deposits worth exploiting. Instead, comparably minor human rights violations are justification for invasion for resource rich or strategically located countries around the globe. The duplicity is disheartening at best, criminal at worst. It is past time for the West to take a long hard look at its motivation for international intervention. Hopefully this film will help create a groundswell of support for true humanitarian interventions.
Paul Rusesabagina himself was available for a Q&A after the film. There wasn't a dry eye on the place and he received two standing ovations. During my lifetime I've met any number of celebrities, politicians, and professional athletes. Never have I been more proud to shake someone's hand.
The Verdict: Every so often a film challenges your world view. For me, this was one of those films.
posted by Hairy Lime at 11:34 AM
1 Comments:
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