Comments on: My favourite movies – Hotel Rwanda

By: Vidya

Vidya — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:45:39 +0000

There was a show on CNN by Cristina Ammanpour which covered the genocide that took place during the last century and this century. Yes, its just 9 years old and a genocide has occurred.
The Rwandans have started the long and painful process of healing and they have been successful, the Hutu and Tutsi are working side by side trying to heal the scars which is commendable.
The latest genocide occurred in Sudan, the Dafur region, and the UN didn’t even declare it a genocide till it was too late. The merciless slaying of the ethnic African tribes was carried out by the government and the government sponsored militia, while the world looked on. It was because the Chinese has large stake in Sudan, oil, construction etc. its the peoples movement that got Dafur into world consciousness and its only when China realised that it could hurt its image during the Beijing games that they agreed to send the UN peace keeping force to Sudan, that was in 2007, too little too late. The killing has started in 2003 and it took 5 years for the world leaders to respond. The situation is still bad.

By: Santy

Santy — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:07:50 +0000

Half a million rapes? Oof! It shook me certainly Vj & it is terribly heart breaking than a million murders! What really shook me is that, a movie is required to bring it to my notice! I blame my own choice and also choices of many like me (Especially people with power) that helped in sweeping it successfully under the carpet! Unbelievably bad World I am part of !

By: Megha

Megha — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:43:18 +0000

OMG! Couldn’t think there was so much insane killing happening out somewhere. The pic tells the whole story.

By: vjkrishna

vjkrishna — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:19:42 +0000

ilbrutto – Thanks. And yes, it came from hollywood and there were some hollywoodish characters in the movie. Thankfully, they did not have a major role. I also thought Don Cheadle was superb as the lead character.

By: vjkrishna

vjkrishna — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:16:04 +0000

Narak – The hiroshima/nagasaki bombing is a genocide but it has been well documented and widely condemned. When there is a genocide of about a million people (and half a million rapes that I did not talk about) and we don’t know about it for a decade, there is a very serious fundamental problem.
Prevention of genocides is one thing. To sweep the news under the carpet is another.

By: ilbrutto

ilbrutto — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:07:11 +0000

A relevant link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/04/sudan-bashir-darfur

By: ilbrutto

ilbrutto — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:41:28 +0000

A very good review again. What happened in Rwanda is now happening in Sri Lanka, the perpetrators being the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE, and you don’t see many reports in the newspapers. And then certain genocides, like the one in Gujarat orchestrated by the neo Nazis and the massacre of Sikhs after Indra Gandhi’s assassination, get widely reported but the perpetrators aren’t punished.
What surprised me about this movie was that it came from Hollywood and it’s a decent movie. Don Cheadle, who starred as Rusessabagina, was a discovery. I’d seen him only in small roles. He performed well even in ‘Traitor’ (with Guy Pearce), which is just a good timepass movie.

By: Narakasura

Narakasura — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:44:40 +0000

Does Nagasaki and hiroshima classify as Genocide…. Why not?

By: Vijay Anil

Vijay Anil — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:45:19 +0000

Thanks Vijay,
You narrated the whole Rwanda Genocide episode so precisely as much as an top editor will do.
Thanks for bringing the whole incident under one hut else I would have been with my same old imagination of some massive caste/rivalry clashes ended many lives in Rwanda/Uganda.
Its pathetic, disgusting to hear the awful incident which ended many innocent lives in no time. Sounds like the hutu’s were well armed, prepared & planned in ejecting tutsi’s completely. Wonder what did the UNO or International tribunal committee was doing for 100 days? or did its post actions brought any justice to Rwanda’s rehabilitation? I was just imagining (with the photos) what if the same incident happening in our own city in streets all of a sudden..!!! ohhhfff…. Can’t think for a while…
The whole post reminds me the Jews holocaust (concentration camps) during World War II headed by Hitler where the whole Nazi Govt. is involved in logistics of Jews mass murder through poisonous gas chambers. Its been exactly showed in Schindler’s List movie directed by noted Steven Spielberg. Like ‘Paul’ for tutsi’s in Hotel Rwanda – ‘Schindler’ for Jews in Schindler’s list movie who saved many Jews lives by employing them in his factory. It’s a v. good movie and a must watch to know the truth.
We have excelled in Science & Technology sporadically but don’t know what progress we made in terms of ‘PEACE’ across nations when the 20’th century history started witnessing with the Boer War (South African War), the World War I, the holocaust(Nazi), World War II, The Vietnam War, Rwanda Genocide & now the Iraq/Afgan war… Don’t know what we have achieved after winning over another? “Neither Peace neither Happiness”. When these events taught a lesson & brings drastic change in peoples thoughts and lives & wish for a “Pleasant Peaceful Life – “That’s our greatest achievement than Science & Technology”.
Let’s wish the horror that swept Rwanda should never ever occur in any country and to any mankind in future.

By: Santy

Santy — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:27:10 +0000

‘THE WORLD’….A place we all live in, ruled by the most smartest living being we have ever seen! We all can debate back and forth on questions which cannot be answered like, Why nobody is caring? Why there is no oil and gold everywhere in the world? Why wrong system in wrong hands? Why nobody is honest? Why rules are violated? Why there is no food for everyone? Why there are poor people in this world? Answers are within us! Humans are driven by emotions. What cannot be changed by anyone are the decisions taken by someoneelse. Especially when that someone has power and doesn’t know how to manage it! Especially when that someone’s decision is going to immediately affect us! I have not seen the movie yet but I dont know what Tutsi initially did when they had power and what made Hutu react badly! It’s all about being the same person always! With or without power! STRONG or WEAK! History says Gods themselves had a tough time in this jungle world and we are just humans. I understand that I am stronger than most people in this world, blessed by health, job, food and shelter! My take from this incident is to be an answer atleast for some of my questions above!

By: vjkrishna

vjkrishna — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:48:28 +0000

Very true. It might even be happening now in a country that has no political or economic significance for the rest of the world. Sadly, there are many such countries in the world.

By: Narakasura

Narakasura — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:43:44 +0000

I too agree that Genocide is a possibility in future.
But my guts says like Rwanda, right now there may be another country suffering like this and not reported properly.
Did anybody know whats happening in Eritria… or any african country for that matter