Hotel Rwanda is one of the most well-known films about the Rwandan Genocide. Many educators use it to highlight one of the most significant crimes against humanity of the past 30 years in which 800,000 people were killed in 100 days.
At the heart of Hotel Rwanda is the story of Paul Rusesabagina in charge of The Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali during the genocide. The narrative film, in which Don Cheadle powerful plays the role of Rusesabagina, received widespread recognition. In the film, Rusesabagina is a hero who saves the lives of the many Tutsi who came to the hotel for shelter and protection.
However, in 2021, Rusesabagina, who had been living in exile, was taken into custody by the Rwandan government, tried and convicted of terrorism charges for his involvement with the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), an organization whose armed wing is the National Liberation Front (NLF) and largely responsible for the genocide.
While there is controversy around Rusesabagina's arrest and his crimes, the charges and his conviction warrant a reconsideration of Hotel Rwanda as a tool for classroom educators. Replacing the film with a film not mired by a problematic figure at its helm is a choice many educators and librarians might wish to make.
I have personally attended virtual events with Rwandans who were at The Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali during the genocide (I also visited the hotel in 2018) as well as a multi-day event with General Roméo Dallaire, who led the United Nations Peacekeeping mission in Rwanda during the genocide. He repeatedly warned that such violence was possible before the mass killings began and called for additional support throughout the genocide.
General Dallaire and the survivors who were at The Hotel des Mille Collines during the genocide repeatedly stressed the importance of not highlighting Hotel Rwanda and the need for other films to take center stage when it came to this brutal chapter of history in Rwanda.
Their recommendations (Shake Hands with the Devil, Shooting Dogs, and Sometimes in April) are included in this list of alternative films for educators and librarians to feature regarding the Rwandan Genocide, as are a few others, including a documentary film by a Rwandan filmmaker and journalist. Non-Rwandans made most of the films.
100 Days (2001) (NR)
Shot in Kibuye, Rwandan, a beautiful lakeside town, 100 Days tells the story of a Hutu priest who colluded with the Tutsi to support their efforts to wipe out the Hutu. Rwandan actors play killers and victims and the filmmakers shot key scenes at a church where mass killings occurred. The film centers on the priest and a beautiful young woman named Josette, who takes refuge at the church. The priest who requires sexual favors for the continued safety of her family ultimately betrayed and blackmailed her. The film portrays some of the unspeakable realities so many Rwandans faced during the genocide.
Keepers of Memories: Survivors' Accounts of the Rwandan Genocide (2009) (NR)
Rwandan filmmaker and journalist Eric Kabera directed this powerful and important documentary that features testimonials from survivors of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. The film also includes the testimonies of perpetrators of the genocide as well. The combination of eyewitness accounts and gripping footage makes this film a powerful testament to survivors.
My Neighbor, My Killer (2009) (NR)
This documentary film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, focuses on the Gacaca courts, a community justice system set up by Rwandans after the 1994 genocide in response to the sheer number and scale of perpetrators of crimes. The Gacaca courts are essential to understanding not only what happened during the Rwandan Genocide, but how this small country moved forward and rebuilt after such massive destruction of life and community. Filmed over 10 years, My Neighbor, My Killer shows the power of forgiveness. It has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Read our review of My Neighbor, My Killer
Purchase My Neighbor, My Killer on DVD
Shake Hands with the Devil (2007) (R)
This film offers insight into the international community's inability to respond effectively to the Rwandan Genocide despite having clear information about the atrocities taking place there. Told through the story of General Roméo Dallaire, who led the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Rwanda, this documentary highlights his efforts and frustration regarding the indifference of his superiors.
Read our review of Shake Hands with the Devil
Purchase Shake Hands with the Devil on Amazon Prime
Shooting Dogs (2005) (R)
Unlike Hotel Rwanda, which was shot in South Africa with South African actors playing Rwandans, Shooting Dogs (originally released in the U.S. under the title Beyond the Gates) was shot on location in Rwanda at many of the places where the violence portrayed took place (similar to 100 Days). Additionally, Rwandans were involved in the film as both actors and crew members. This narrative film centers on two Europeans who were in Rwanda during the genocide and loosely draws from the true story of a Catholic priest played by John Hurt. One thing to note about this film is its focus is on the plight of Europeans seeking to leave Rwanda while also seeking to portray the ineffectiveness of the UN forces there because of the directives of the international community.
Sometimes in April (2005) (TV-MA)
Starring Idris Elba as Augustin Muganza, a Hutu captain for the Rwandan Armed Forces married to a Tutsi woman, Sometimes in April, is an American-made-for-TV movie about the Rwandan Genocide. The film toggles back and forth between April 1994, when the Rwandan Genocide began, and April 2004 when Muganza's brother will stand trial for his crimes during the Rwandan Genocide. Muganza's brother was a pro-Hutu Power radio personality for Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, a radio station known for its call to Hutu throughout Rwanda to take up arms against their neighbors.
Read our review of Sometimes in April
Purchase Sometimes in April on Amazon Prime
This is Football - Episode 1 (2019) (TV-14)
An unexpected addition to this list, This Is Football, is an Amazon episodic series about the power of football (aka soccer) around the world. Its opening episode focuses on the power of football to bring Rwandans together after the genocide of 1994. The episode also handles the context and history of the genocide well with testimonials about the brutal events of 1994. With football (soccer) as the frame, this piece could provide a softer entry into the Rwandan Genocide for younger viewers. Rated TV-14, I watched it with my 11- and 12-year-old recently, and the film fostered powerful and important discussions about not only what happened in Rwanda, but humanity in general.
Purchase This is Football on Amazon Prime