Hotel Rwanda

Last morning, I watched a movie based on a true story. It's about the abuse of power that brought people into madness, killing everyone who is against them and the whole world doesn't about it. It's "Hotel Rwanda" starred by Don Cheadle who played the role of a manager of a Belgian-owned, 4-star, Hotel Nikulin. To give you a background, the story is set in Kigali, Rwanda, 1994 where the two tribes/parties of the nation, the Hutus and the Tutsis found themselves in war. Rwanda was once a colony of Belgium and the the Belgians, let the Tutsis ran the government. When the Belgians gave Rwanda their independence, the Hutus take over and take revenge on the Tutsis. This revenge turned into madness when these Hutus want to eliminate all Tutsis. Mass killings were everywhere and it was horrible and gory.




Paul Rusesabagina (Don), a Hutu, the hotel manager in Hotel Nikulin came into the story when his house was searched by Hutu armies for Tutsi civilians. He has been hiding his neighbors, Hutu and Tutsi alike since the killings began. He was found guilty and the army decided to kill the Tutsi but Paul found a way to bribe them so his Tutsi neighbors were spared. When he got back to the hotel, the Belgian manager decided to leave his job for his safety and he got Paul in-charge. He hid his family and his neighbors at the hotel. However as few days passed, people were coming into the hotel for refuge: orphans, people whose homes are burned. As days grow darker, more killings appear and the worse came when the Rwandan president was murdered. He called for help from the UN for them to be exiled but only the foreign nationals were exiled from Rwanda. In desperate attmept, he contacted his boss in Belgium to find help. He also urged the refugees to call any relative, friend, acquaintance abroad that might help them get out from Rwanda. The war was nearing their hot zone and Paul can no longer bribe the Hutu general for protection cause he lacked resources. Blessing came when a response came to him and those who the people called extended their help. To make the story short, Paul and his family, along with a lucky few people were exiled from Rwanda. It was said that in July 2004, the killings stopped when the Tutsis pacified the Hutus. The war left millions and millions of corpses.

Watching this movie, it made me realize how people would be driven into madness to the extent of no mercy killing everyone, with indivdual hopes and dreams and it also made me realize how a man can realize what he can become when difficult situations arises. Paul was an ordinary man but he stood up and protect his countrymen and he was considered a hero. Sometimes we wish that situations will be just fine cause we are content on what we are but God sharpens us through the fire of trials to be the best we can be.