Air Date: April 24, 2010 after the Reel 13 Classic on THIRTEEN
Hotel Rwanda
Synopsis:
HOTEL RWANDA stars Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte, and Joaquin Phoenix. The film is the true story of Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle), a hotel manager who saved more than a thousand people during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. As his country is torn apart by ethnic conflict, Rusesabagina risks his own life to take in those targeted by the violent Hutu militias. United Nations peacekeepers can only do so much, and Rusesabagina shows extraordinary courage in the face of a terrible evil. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Don Cheadle, Best Supporting Actress for Sophie Okonedo, and Best Original Screenplay.
Director: Terry George
HOTEL RWANDA is the work of Irish-born filmmaker Terry George, who in the 1970s was imprisoned for six years for suspected republican activities in Northern Ireland. At New York’s Irish Arts Center, George met filmmaker Jim Sheridan when Sheridan put on one of his plays in 1985. After Sheridan left the Center to direct the film MY LEFT FOOT, George took over as artistic director. He also began work on his own screenplay about Ireland called IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, which Sheridan would later direct. The two men would share an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for their work. George is currently working on the script for INSIDE MAN 2.
WNET absolutely ruined “Hotel Rwanda” by presenting it in such a sanitized version - to such an extent that the film does not portray the horrors of the slaughters committed in Rwanda, which were included in the original film. This horrific violence immediately shocked the viewer into realizing just how horrible the Tutsi slaughter was. The version WNET presented might as well be a Walt Disney production, the way it’s been censored. Shame on WNET.
This movie has a very strong emotional impact.
I have seen it multiple times because of how honestly it portrays the event.
I love this movie i watched it a million times and i will watch it over and over again its a good movie i really love the ending too so please leave a good comment and vote on this movie so they can play it this saturday i am only 10 and i love this movie.thx
When this first came out I was 21 and I am in love with this movie! We’ll see how sensored it is tonight.
When this first came out I was 21 and I am in love with this movie! We’ll see how censored it is tonight.
Censored? How reprehensible. I expect better of PBS. While I’ve always been grateful for your programming, I would think PBS would respect its viewers enough to not insult us with sanitized versions. This film, in particular, neeeds to shock, needs to deeply impress upon a violence-inured public the unimaginable pain of our fellow human beings. The people of Rwanda were not offered a sanitized version of the genocide that cut down their loved ones: the least PBS could do is honor their incredible burden of horror with the full honesty of a film that tries to depict it.
I had the privilage to have seen this movie in a private screening with Mr. Paul Rusesabagina present, as a quest speaker. We had many Q&A’S and a lively discussion following the movie presentation.
It is utterly horrifying how the UN peace keepers are inefficient. The UN needs to make radical changes fron inside out- with the rest of the World, so genocide stops. Past history has not taught anything, just look at Darfur.
I am also saddened, that Mr.Rusesabagina has been villified by current government in Kigali and the press. From sheer jelousy, as he became famous through this film and his two books. The Washington Post did not do much better, by the article written by Terry George. Respectfully, Mrs.P
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