'Hotel Rwanda' hero comes under fire in native land
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:58 AM
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'Hotel Rwanda' hero comes under fire in native land
Interesting article on CNN's website
I had heard bits and pieces on parts of this story.
http://tinyurl.com/2qec6o
I had heard bits and pieces on parts of this story.
http://tinyurl.com/2qec6o
Apr 4th, 2007, 10:32 AM
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Yeah they sure do hate him there! I think bottom line they feel he is taking way more credit than he deserves.
My guide in Rwanda is definitely not a fan of his and feels the movie credits him more than he deserves.
My guide in Rwanda is definitely not a fan of his and feels the movie credits him more than he deserves.
Apr 4th, 2007, 11:59 AM
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A lot of people I know and have run into in Rwanda aren't fans of his either.
There's always more to the story than Hollywood lets us in on.
The people of Rwanda lived through the horror and I believe what they say.
There's always more to the story than Hollywood lets us in on.
The people of Rwanda lived through the horror and I believe what they say.
Apr 5th, 2007, 04:23 AM
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There are always two (or three or fours - in fact as many people as there were involved) sides of the story - it is our blinkers, our emotion and disbelief (or guilt?) that is manipulated by stories and Hollywood and the media.
Any telling of any story is multi-faceted - the disgruntled recepionist, Pasa Mwenenganucye has his own story.
Paul Rusesabagina may or may not have succumbed to the limelight - the fact remains that many who have watched the movie have gained a better understanding than they would have gleaned from the political ideology and white-western media filters - if you could find it AS IT HAPPENED on anything but page 26 of the [insert your local news broadsheet name here].
It was one mans view, one mans story as portrayed throug western sensibilitis by the director, the studio, the market... if he was a hero or covering his own butt... the fact is he is not the the perpetrator of mass genocide.. just a bloke telling his story.
Any telling of any story is multi-faceted - the disgruntled recepionist, Pasa Mwenenganucye has his own story.
Paul Rusesabagina may or may not have succumbed to the limelight - the fact remains that many who have watched the movie have gained a better understanding than they would have gleaned from the political ideology and white-western media filters - if you could find it AS IT HAPPENED on anything but page 26 of the [insert your local news broadsheet name here].
It was one mans view, one mans story as portrayed throug western sensibilitis by the director, the studio, the market... if he was a hero or covering his own butt... the fact is he is not the the perpetrator of mass genocide.. just a bloke telling his story.
Apr 5th, 2007, 05:16 AM
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Well, do any of us really have a better understanding of what these people lived through? I think those of us who have visited the Genocide Memorial may have a glimpse of what happened but not much more than that. We weren't the ones experiencing the horror.
And is Hollywood telling the story they want to tell or are they telling the story he wanted them to tell is the more important question.
Yes, the movie gave the genocide the recognition it should have had when it was happening but what good comes from portraying him as a hero in the movie if it wasn't the case? What does anyone gain from having the facts misrepresented?
Granted he was not the perpetrator, but let's not make someone a hero who really wasn't a hero in the eyes of the people.
And is Hollywood telling the story they want to tell or are they telling the story he wanted them to tell is the more important question.
Yes, the movie gave the genocide the recognition it should have had when it was happening but what good comes from portraying him as a hero in the movie if it wasn't the case? What does anyone gain from having the facts misrepresented?
Granted he was not the perpetrator, but let's not make someone a hero who really wasn't a hero in the eyes of the people.
Apr 5th, 2007, 05:01 PM
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Howdy Divewop - that is a fair comment. I guess my slant on it is more about the diversity of view than whether Paul is or isn't a hero - "the" people depends I guess on which people..what their relaionship to the story is, my relationship is distant, white, western.
Apr 10th, 2007, 10:57 AM
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Hollywood movies might get us talking, but those movies are definitely not to be trusted. For example, the movie version of The Painted Veil, written by Somerset Maugham, is substantially and materially different from the book. I guess Somerset Maugham needed a little help with his story-telling . . . The same is true of The Last King of Scotland. Hollywood feels the need to change, hype, over-simplify and sex-ify everything, else "we" will not be entertained.
Apr 10th, 2007, 11:13 AM
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Hi Guys
I can't help but putting up a post.
We had Idi Amin, then Rwanda and now we have Mad Bob Mugabe doing the same thing and no one seems to care. Does the rest of the world have to wait until Hollywood makes a movie about the atrocities in Africa? Good luck to the guy who made his money out of portraying what happened in Rwanda, the thing is are you all going to wait for the next movie on the crisis in Zimbabwe before you all become experts on the situation that has happened.
Just concerned.
Mark
I can't help but putting up a post.
We had Idi Amin, then Rwanda and now we have Mad Bob Mugabe doing the same thing and no one seems to care. Does the rest of the world have to wait until Hollywood makes a movie about the atrocities in Africa? Good luck to the guy who made his money out of portraying what happened in Rwanda, the thing is are you all going to wait for the next movie on the crisis in Zimbabwe before you all become experts on the situation that has happened.
Just concerned.
Mark
Apr 12th, 2007, 05:55 PM
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"all become experts"...
sure. I base all my philosophies, understandings and opinions on Hollywood movies. I walk around with my eyes closed, don't read newspapers, don't watch the news services or read books. My other name is BritneyParisSmith. 
And I especially do not support any political, environmental or community based organisations that might help bring an end to the deterioration of our planet -why halt the inevitable...pass me a SkinnyDeCafLatte but hold the milk.
I reckon Denzel Washington could bulk up a bit and play Robert, don't you?
sure. I base all my philosophies, understandings and opinions on Hollywood movies. I walk around with my eyes closed, don't read newspapers, don't watch the news services or read books. My other name is BritneyParisSmith. And I especially do not support any political, environmental or community based organisations that might help bring an end to the deterioration of our planet -why halt the inevitable...pass me a SkinnyDeCafLatte but hold the milk.I reckon Denzel Washington could bulk up a bit and play Robert, don't you?
Apr 13th, 2007, 07:59 AM
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Well I recently heard him interviewed on French radio, and he certainly didn't seem to be taking credit for doing everything himself.
In fact he specifically commented that he didn't like the movie because it made him seem too much of a hero.
In fact he specifically commented that he didn't like the movie because it made him seem too much of a hero.
Apr 13th, 2007, 08:38 AM
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Well, here's something for the weekend...
http://www.ushmm.org/googleearth/
http://www.ushmm.org/googleearth/
