I’m reluctant to include another film, but Hotel Rwanda is a must see. Set in Rwanda, mid-genocide, it tells the true story of Paul Rusesabagina as he shelters refugees in his hotel.
It’s vicious, violent and often hard to watch. But, these are images we need to see. We need to be sure that they never happen again.
This film occupies the strange ground between activism and entertainment. Director Terry George says: “the goal of the film is not only to engage audiences in this story of genocide but also to inspire them to help redress the terrible devastation”.
It is a harrowing film that will stick with you how it achieves this dual mandate. It inspires you in that ‘one person can make a difference’ kind of way, particularly in contrast to the graphic inhumanity shown by others.
Hotel Rwanda tells the personal story of one man, but also the paints a convincing political landscape. For anyone interested in human rights, it will fuel your desire for change.
Thanks for sharing this with us Clare. It brings a different insight than what I am used to in the discussion about development.
Hi Clare, I also think this is a good movie. They obviously changed the story a bit to sell it better. But this makes the film more appealing to the general public, so that’s good
Glad you enjoyed it guys. I’m glad they altered it slightly, Tiziana, if it made it a more appealing film.
As one of our speakers said at the launch event in Brussels, Slumdog Millionaire did more for teaching the mainstream about India than years of campaigning.