"“I flew to Belgium met Paul and learned of his life", director Terry
George began my interview at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Atlanta, GA,
and then continued. "I learned how Paul became a hotelier. How he
rose through the ranks of employees in the various Sabena hotels he
worked in, and how he ended up at the Hotel Mille Collines in Kigali."
"We sat around and listened as he told his story", director Terry
George, continues. "As Paul spoke I did my best to hide two
conflicting emotions: Excitement and Fear", George said.
"Excitement because it was a perfect story to be told on film. Fear
because of failure. I knew if we got this story right, audiences would
be cheering for a real hero who fought to save lives in a hell we would
not dare to invent."
George was talking about ten years ago when the country of Rwanda
descended into madness. As the the world closed its eyes to the
happenings, one man made a promise to protect the family he loved -
Paul Rusesabagina opened his heart and proves that the human spirit
CAN make us stronger - - than we’d ever imagine.
George began my interview at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Atlanta, GA,
and then continued. "I learned how Paul became a hotelier. How he
rose through the ranks of employees in the various Sabena hotels he
worked in, and how he ended up at the Hotel Mille Collines in Kigali."
"We sat around and listened as he told his story", director Terry
George, continues. "As Paul spoke I did my best to hide two
conflicting emotions: Excitement and Fear", George said.
"Excitement because it was a perfect story to be told on film. Fear
because of failure. I knew if we got this story right, audiences would
be cheering for a real hero who fought to save lives in a hell we would
not dare to invent."
George was talking about ten years ago when the country of Rwanda
descended into madness. As the the world closed its eyes to the
happenings, one man made a promise to protect the family he loved -
Paul Rusesabagina opened his heart and proves that the human spirit
CAN make us stronger - - than we’d ever imagine.
"HOTEL RWANDA" tells the inspiring, "emotion-filled", and moving story of real-life hero Paul
Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle) - a hotel manager in Rwanda who secretly used his position
and intelligence to shelter over a thousand refugees during the genocide crisis.
Over the course of 100 days - almost one million people were killed in Rwanda. The streets of the
capital city of Kigali ran red, like rivers of blood.
Rwanda’s Hutu extremists slaughtered their Tutsi neighbors and any moderate Hutu's who stood in
their way. There was no international intervention in Rwanda, no expeditionary forces, no coalition of
the willing. There was no international aid for Rwanda.
On April 6, 1994, Major General Habyarimana and the President of Burundi were assassinated in
a plane crash, credit taken for by members of their own parties, who subsequently blamed the Tutsis
for the deaths.
That very night, an execution of high-ranking Tutsi officials and Hutu moderates began. Over the
next three days, virtually any ranking Tutsi or moderate Hutu in power was systematically executed,
- but the violence didn’t stop there.
Meandering bands of organized Hutu militia, known as the Interahamwe, roamed the country killing
spread exponentially to all corners of Rwanda for the next three months, and nobody dared to stop
them.
Even though the Red Cross estimated that hundreds of thousands were being murdered, mostly by
machete, the U.N. reduced its peacekeeping force from 2,500 to 270 soldiers.
The RPF ultimately invaded again from Uganda, prevailing and bringing an end to the genocide in July
1994. Most Hutu extremists fled to Zaire.
Says director Terry George. “And it’s happening yet again in Sudan, or the Congo, or some
Godforsaken place where life is worth less than dirt. Places where men and women like Paul and
Tatiana shame us all by their decency and bravery.”
In visiting Rwanda with Paul prior to shooting the film, George was also able to see the incredible
beauty of Rwanda, and to take time out to investigate the politics of the extremist Hutu government.
How their radio station RTML spewed forth hate and venom towards the Tutsi -- and how prejudice
and fear drove ordinary people to believe that they had to massacre their neighbors in order to
preserve their existence.
“If I had to point to the one factor that sparked this genocide,” says George, “it was that radio
station. We feature that radio station as a character in the film. I need people to understand the
power of that propaganda. ”
Hotel Rwanda is, for the most part, a deeply personal story, focused on one building (the hotel), the
people within it, and the relationships between them. The filmmakers deliberately avoided focusing on
the overwhelming horror of the genocide itself. A played down focus, or lack there of, that Mr.
Rusesabagina didn't agree with.
I asked Mr. Rusessabagina after watching the film, if he'd felt particularly connected to a specific
scene or event, and he responded saying -- -- "The bodies. The bodies. The discovery of the bodies.
There were bodies everywhere you walked, bodies everywhere."
“When the film ventures outside into Kigali during the genocide, we tried to create this bizarre, surreal
atmosphere, to let viewers feel the psychological terror of the genocide without going close on the
slaughter,” said director George.
“Don Cheadle always turns in solid, thoughtful performances,” continues George. “He’s just a
favorite of mine. He’s played such varied characters, from his great performance in Devil in a Blue
Dress to Boogie Nights to The Rat Pack when he played Sammy Davis, Jr. He’s an incredible actor.
Don can take a scene, give you two or three versions of how that scene should be played out, and
they’re all perfection, then you move on. He was on the set first, he coped with every curveball
thrown at us, and he smiled through it all.”
During the genocide crisis - over the course of 100 days - almost one million people were killed in
Rwanda. The streets of the capital city of Kigali ran red with rivers of blood.
Rwanda’s Hutu extremists slaughtered their Tutsi neighbors and any moderate Hutu's who stood in
their way. There was no international intervention in Rwanda, no expeditionary forces, no coalition of
the willing. There was no international aid for Rwanda.
On April 6, 1994, Major General Habyarimana and the President of Burundi were assassinated in a
plane crash by members of their own parties, who subsequently blamed the Tutsis for the deaths.
That very night, an execution of high-ranking Tutsi officials and Hutu moderates began. Over the
next three days, virtually any ranking Tutsi or moderate Hutu in power was systematically executed,
but the violence didn’t stop there.
Roaming bands of an organized Hutu militia known as the Interahamwe roamed the country, and the
killing spread exponentially to all corners of Rwanda for the next three months with nothing to stop it.
Even as the Red Cross estimated that hundreds of thousands were being murdered, mostly by
machete, the U.N. reduced its peacekeeping force from 2,500 to 270 soldiers. The RPF ultimately
invaded again from Uganda, prevailing and bringing an end to the genocide in July 1994. Most Hutu
extremists fled to Zaire.
Says director Terry George. “But it’s happening yet again in Sudan, or the Congo, or some
Godforsaken place where life is worth less than dirt. Places where men and women like Paul and
Tatiana shame us all by their decency and bravery.”
In January 2003, Terry George traveled to Rwanda to research the story and familiarize himself with
the country. “I was also looking for answers,” says George. “Why the genocide? Why were so
many people murdered in the space of 100 days, the fastest genocide in modern history? I also
wanted to get a sense of the ordinary people of Rwanda and listen to their stories. George was
accompanied on his visit by Paul Rusesabagina. It was the first time Paul had returned to Rwanda
since the atrocities.
In visiting Rwanda with Paul, George was able to investigate the politics of the extremist Hutu
government. How their radio station RTML spewed forth hate and venom towards the Tutsi and how
prejudice and fear drove ordinary people to believe that they had to massacre their neighbors in order
to preserve their existence.
“If I had to point to the one factor that sparked this genocide,” says George, “it was that radio
station. We feature that radio station as a character in the film. I need people to understand the
power of that propaganda. ”
Hotel Rwanda is, for the most part, a deeply personal story, focused on one building (the hotel), the
people within it, and the relationships between them. The filmmakers deliberately avoided focusing on
the overwhelming horror of the genocide itself. A played down focus Mr. Rusesabagina didn't agree
with.
I asked Mr. Rusessabagina after watching the film, if he'd felt particularly connected to a specific
scene or event, and he responded saying -- -- "The bodies. The bodies. The discovery of the bodies.
There were bodies everywhere you walked, bodies everywhere."
“When the film ventures outside into Kigali during the genocide, we tried to create this bizarre, surreal
atmosphere, to let viewers feel the psychological terror of the genocide without going close on the
slaughter,” said director George.
“Don Cheadle always turns in solid, thoughtful performances,” continues George. “He’s just a
favorite of mine. He’s played such varied characters, from his great performance in Devil in a Blue
Dress to Boogie Nights to The Rat Pack when he played Sammy Davis, Jr. He’s an incredible actor.
Don can take a scene, give you two or three versions of how that scene should be played out, and
they’re all perfection, then you move on. He was on the set first, he coped with every curveball
thrown at us, and he smiled through it all.”
United Artists Presents in association with Lions Gate Entertainment, a United/Kingdom/South
Africa/Italy, co-production in association with The Industrial Development Corporation of South
Africa, a Miracle Pictures/Seamus production produced in association with Inside Track & Mikado
Film, by Terry George.
Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle) - a hotel manager in Rwanda who secretly used his position
and intelligence to shelter over a thousand refugees during the genocide crisis.
Over the course of 100 days - almost one million people were killed in Rwanda. The streets of the
capital city of Kigali ran red, like rivers of blood.
Rwanda’s Hutu extremists slaughtered their Tutsi neighbors and any moderate Hutu's who stood in
their way. There was no international intervention in Rwanda, no expeditionary forces, no coalition of
the willing. There was no international aid for Rwanda.
On April 6, 1994, Major General Habyarimana and the President of Burundi were assassinated in
a plane crash, credit taken for by members of their own parties, who subsequently blamed the Tutsis
for the deaths.
That very night, an execution of high-ranking Tutsi officials and Hutu moderates began. Over the
next three days, virtually any ranking Tutsi or moderate Hutu in power was systematically executed,
- but the violence didn’t stop there.
Meandering bands of organized Hutu militia, known as the Interahamwe, roamed the country killing
spread exponentially to all corners of Rwanda for the next three months, and nobody dared to stop
them.
Even though the Red Cross estimated that hundreds of thousands were being murdered, mostly by
machete, the U.N. reduced its peacekeeping force from 2,500 to 270 soldiers.
The RPF ultimately invaded again from Uganda, prevailing and bringing an end to the genocide in July
1994. Most Hutu extremists fled to Zaire.
Says director Terry George. “And it’s happening yet again in Sudan, or the Congo, or some
Godforsaken place where life is worth less than dirt. Places where men and women like Paul and
Tatiana shame us all by their decency and bravery.”
In visiting Rwanda with Paul prior to shooting the film, George was also able to see the incredible
beauty of Rwanda, and to take time out to investigate the politics of the extremist Hutu government.
How their radio station RTML spewed forth hate and venom towards the Tutsi -- and how prejudice
and fear drove ordinary people to believe that they had to massacre their neighbors in order to
preserve their existence.
“If I had to point to the one factor that sparked this genocide,” says George, “it was that radio
station. We feature that radio station as a character in the film. I need people to understand the
power of that propaganda. ”
Hotel Rwanda is, for the most part, a deeply personal story, focused on one building (the hotel), the
people within it, and the relationships between them. The filmmakers deliberately avoided focusing on
the overwhelming horror of the genocide itself. A played down focus, or lack there of, that Mr.
Rusesabagina didn't agree with.
I asked Mr. Rusessabagina after watching the film, if he'd felt particularly connected to a specific
scene or event, and he responded saying -- -- "The bodies. The bodies. The discovery of the bodies.
There were bodies everywhere you walked, bodies everywhere."
“When the film ventures outside into Kigali during the genocide, we tried to create this bizarre, surreal
atmosphere, to let viewers feel the psychological terror of the genocide without going close on the
slaughter,” said director George.
“Don Cheadle always turns in solid, thoughtful performances,” continues George. “He’s just a
favorite of mine. He’s played such varied characters, from his great performance in Devil in a Blue
Dress to Boogie Nights to The Rat Pack when he played Sammy Davis, Jr. He’s an incredible actor.
Don can take a scene, give you two or three versions of how that scene should be played out, and
they’re all perfection, then you move on. He was on the set first, he coped with every curveball
thrown at us, and he smiled through it all.”
During the genocide crisis - over the course of 100 days - almost one million people were killed in
Rwanda. The streets of the capital city of Kigali ran red with rivers of blood.
Rwanda’s Hutu extremists slaughtered their Tutsi neighbors and any moderate Hutu's who stood in
their way. There was no international intervention in Rwanda, no expeditionary forces, no coalition of
the willing. There was no international aid for Rwanda.
On April 6, 1994, Major General Habyarimana and the President of Burundi were assassinated in a
plane crash by members of their own parties, who subsequently blamed the Tutsis for the deaths.
That very night, an execution of high-ranking Tutsi officials and Hutu moderates began. Over the
next three days, virtually any ranking Tutsi or moderate Hutu in power was systematically executed,
but the violence didn’t stop there.
Roaming bands of an organized Hutu militia known as the Interahamwe roamed the country, and the
killing spread exponentially to all corners of Rwanda for the next three months with nothing to stop it.
Even as the Red Cross estimated that hundreds of thousands were being murdered, mostly by
machete, the U.N. reduced its peacekeeping force from 2,500 to 270 soldiers. The RPF ultimately
invaded again from Uganda, prevailing and bringing an end to the genocide in July 1994. Most Hutu
extremists fled to Zaire.
Says director Terry George. “But it’s happening yet again in Sudan, or the Congo, or some
Godforsaken place where life is worth less than dirt. Places where men and women like Paul and
Tatiana shame us all by their decency and bravery.”
In January 2003, Terry George traveled to Rwanda to research the story and familiarize himself with
the country. “I was also looking for answers,” says George. “Why the genocide? Why were so
many people murdered in the space of 100 days, the fastest genocide in modern history? I also
wanted to get a sense of the ordinary people of Rwanda and listen to their stories. George was
accompanied on his visit by Paul Rusesabagina. It was the first time Paul had returned to Rwanda
since the atrocities.
In visiting Rwanda with Paul, George was able to investigate the politics of the extremist Hutu
government. How their radio station RTML spewed forth hate and venom towards the Tutsi and how
prejudice and fear drove ordinary people to believe that they had to massacre their neighbors in order
to preserve their existence.
“If I had to point to the one factor that sparked this genocide,” says George, “it was that radio
station. We feature that radio station as a character in the film. I need people to understand the
power of that propaganda. ”
Hotel Rwanda is, for the most part, a deeply personal story, focused on one building (the hotel), the
people within it, and the relationships between them. The filmmakers deliberately avoided focusing on
the overwhelming horror of the genocide itself. A played down focus Mr. Rusesabagina didn't agree
with.
I asked Mr. Rusessabagina after watching the film, if he'd felt particularly connected to a specific
scene or event, and he responded saying -- -- "The bodies. The bodies. The discovery of the bodies.
There were bodies everywhere you walked, bodies everywhere."
“When the film ventures outside into Kigali during the genocide, we tried to create this bizarre, surreal
atmosphere, to let viewers feel the psychological terror of the genocide without going close on the
slaughter,” said director George.
“Don Cheadle always turns in solid, thoughtful performances,” continues George. “He’s just a
favorite of mine. He’s played such varied characters, from his great performance in Devil in a Blue
Dress to Boogie Nights to The Rat Pack when he played Sammy Davis, Jr. He’s an incredible actor.
Don can take a scene, give you two or three versions of how that scene should be played out, and
they’re all perfection, then you move on. He was on the set first, he coped with every curveball
thrown at us, and he smiled through it all.”
United Artists Presents in association with Lions Gate Entertainment, a United/Kingdom/South
Africa/Italy, co-production in association with The Industrial Development Corporation of South
Africa, a Miracle Pictures/Seamus production produced in association with Inside Track & Mikado
Film, by Terry George.
Hotel
Rwanda
Rwanda
PAUL RUSESABAGINA and Director TERRY GEORGE ,
In Atlanta At Ritz-Carlton Hotel For One-on-One Interviews For United Artists Film
Release of "Hotel Rwanda" Starring Don Cheadle - Opening In Theaters
Dec 22nd In NY & LA / Jan 7th In Atlanta
By: Gatsby Melodi'
In Atlanta At Ritz-Carlton Hotel For One-on-One Interviews For United Artists Film
Release of "Hotel Rwanda" Starring Don Cheadle - Opening In Theaters
Dec 22nd In NY & LA / Jan 7th In Atlanta
By: Gatsby Melodi'