Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Xolani Mali | ... | Policeman |
Don Cheadle | ... | Paul Rusesabagina | |
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Desmond Dube | ... | Dube |
Hakeem Kae-Kazim | ... | George Rutaganda | |
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Tony Kgoroge | ... | Gregoire |
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Rosie Motene | ... | Receptionist |
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Neil McCarthy | ... | Jean Jacques |
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Mabutho 'Kid' Sithole | ... | Head Chef (as Kid Sithole) |
Nick Nolte | ... | Colonel Oliver | |
Fana Mokoena | ... | General Bizimungu | |
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Jeremiah Ndlovu | ... | Old Guard |
Sophie Okonedo | ... | Tatiana Rusesabagina | |
Lebo Mashile | ... | Odette | |
Antonio David Lyons | ... | Thomas Mirama | |
Leleti Khumalo | ... | Fedens |
1994. In Rwanda, the classification of the native population into Hutus and Tutsis, arbitrarily done by the colonial Belgians, is now ingrained within Rwandan mentality despite the Rwandan independence. Despite the Belgians having placed the Tutsis in a higher position during the Belgian rule, they have placed the majority Hutus in power after independence. Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu married to a Tutsi, Tatiana Rusesabagina, is the House Manager of the Hotel Des Milles Collines in Kigali. The Milles Collines, owned by Sabena (the national airline of Belgium), is a four-star hotel catering primarily to wealthy white westerners. Paul, who knows how to work the system to run the hotel effectively for its guests and for Sabena, is proud that most of the Caucasians who he meets in this professional capacity treat him with respect. After a specific incident, the relative calm between the Tutsi guerrillas and government-backed Hutu militia takes a turn. Paul's thought that the native ... Written by Huggo
Just saw the San Francisco premier last night and it isn't a dramatization - it's much more of a documentary -- Hotel is extremely factual. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS FILM! INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!
The Director and the story's protagonist were at the screening to answer questions. We ovated him for almost 10 minutes. Near the end of the q&a, an older man stood up and was called on. Slowly he commented that as a Tutsi, the movie gave him a lot to think about and that it may now be possible to find peace in his heart. The audience was stunned. And believe me, it takes a lot to silence a San Francisco audience.
One last comment, the film is indpendently made and distributed - no Hollywood involvement at all (Terry George is British). There will be no machine pumping out ads and radio anouncements about this one. Help get the word out - great film!