Film "hotel Rwanda"

"Hotel Rwanda"

I chose the film "Hotel Rwanda" because it is a topic very close to my heart. I was born and raised in Nigeria, Africa and I know the issues that went on and are still ongoing in the continent of Africa, so I felt that this film was one that I should work on. "Hotel Rwanda" is directed by Terry George and based on real life events in Rwanda during the spring of 1994. The film takes place in Rwanda, a sovereign state in central and east Africa. The film stars Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina, who is a Hutu who tries to rescue his fellow citizens from the sufferings and violence of the Rwandan Genocide. Sophie Okonedo, as Tatiana Rusesabagina Paul's wife who is of the Tutsi tribe.The film, follows Rusesabagina's attemts to save the lives of his family and more than a thousand other refugees from the Hutu militia in Rwanda, by giving them refuge in the surrounded Hôtel des Mille Collines with which he is the manager. Hotel Rwanda explores genocide, political corruption, and the issues of violence in a country that is often judged harshly, and its acts that were forgotten.

The film does a wonderful job in highlighting the reactions and response from all overseas. A particularly evoking scene involves the UN Peacekeeper. They were unable to help the people because they were forbidden to intervene in the genocide. But they were able to rescue the foreigners instead, but were unable to save the people of Rwanda because they were ambushed by the Hutu police and they had no choice but to leave them behind.

The premise of this film is of the two different cultural groups in Rwanda. The Hutu and Tutsi, and like every differing religion and culture in the world; these two tribes could not see eye to eye. A psychological issue witnessed throughout the fill is the use of ethnic violence. The Hutu felt so repulsed, such hatred for the Tutsi that they sought to cleanse their country of them. The film is basically about the temptation and addiction that power and corruption brings what people will do to get what they want. It show how people are so quick to choose war over peace, and how violence and hate can spread so quickly, that almost nothing can stop it. It addresses psychological topics like social psychology, as well as altruistic and egotistical behavior.

The main complex point the film presents is that of social psychology. The entire film works in a way to show us how the beginning actions of a few, greatly influenced those of the many. The lack of aid not given to the people of Rwanda is staggering. In a scene were Colonel Oliver, a UN presence in Rwanda, is talking to Paul he says "You're black. You're not even a nigger. You're an African". ( He says this to explain to Paul why the world would not intervene to stop the slaughter of thousands.