Imagine there were only two types of people in America. One was a minority chosen by a foreign power as more desirable do to skin tone and nose size. The other group was the majority and the president of the country was of that origin. When the president gets shot and killed by the opposing side, the country goes to war. The minority “chosen” people are targeted and persecuted, and much of the outside help abandons them.

This is exactly what happened in 1994 in the African country of Rwanda. The two groups were the Tutsi (minority) and the Hutu (majority.) The movie “Hotel Rwanda” is a factual movie, based on real life events and people during the Rwandan Genocide.

I thought the movie was absolutely incredible. It opened with conflict between the Tutsi and the Hutu already on the rise, though the conflict wasn’t fully explained until 15 to 20 minutes in. The mystery of the situation kept me engaged for the perfect amount of time. Once it was revealed what was going on, the essence had captured my attention and I wanted to continue watching.

Emotions were another aspect that caught my attention. The situation was very serious, and the emotions of both the Tutsi and the Hutu were revealed. The fear and sorrow the Tutsi had over their persecution was shown so well.

Family was also a strong point of the movie. The main character, Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) was a Hutu hotel manager. He had money and was well-known. However, when the fighting broke out, his hotel became a refuge for Tutsis and Hutus who were labeled traitors.

The strongest aspect of family was the fact that while Paul was a Hutu, his wife and three children were Tutsi. I thought this put an incredible stress on the fear and attachment felt by many Rwandans.

The most powerful scene in the entire film was an evacuation scene. The white people were being evacuated because people knew things were about to get bad in Rwanda. While the white guests at the hotel boarded the bus, the Negro hotel staff assisted in moving suitcases and shielding the evacuees from the falling rain.

The whites looked out the window at the people they were leaving behind, knowing that many of them would be killed from the fighting and just as the bus was about to pull away, a rush of young children and their white guardians turn the corner thinking the bus will take them to safety. Upon arrival, the whites are torn from the black children and thrown on the bus, and the bus pulls away.

This scene was incredibly powerful. The rain was a tool that successfully relayed the sorrow and fear in the hearts of the Rwandans, and also foreshadowed the violence to come.

I thought Hotel Rwanda was one of the best movies I have seen. The theme would have been sad enough as a fiction, but the fact that the movie was based on real events and real people was eye-opening. For me, the movie not only brought emotions and passion, but served as a lesson in humanity: do all you can for not only yourself but others. Even when the future seems hopeless, one person with strong determination can make all the difference.

14awalters@usd489.com