"Hotel Rwanda"
I'm up late tonight watching a couple movies that I've been meaning to watch. I just finished "Hotel Rwanda"; it's probably one of the most powerful films I've seen in a long time. It tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina and what happened during the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994.
When I read about it I thought it would be interesting to watch since I like to learn about world events and I really don't remember hearing about this when I was younger. I remember hearing about Somalia but not this. If ever there was a time to intervene in something, this would have been it. It was so sad what those people went through and no one would help them. I don't know if I could sleep knowing that I could have done something to help all those people but chose not to because their careers were more important. I know thats the idealist rearing its head but I can't help it. There is absolutely no reason that anyone should have to see and experience the things these people did. I was taken aback by the images I saw and I know that I only saw a dramatization of it. I don't think I could stomach seeing the real thing.
I think a lot of time people in this country, myself included, have become desensitized to things. There was a great scene in the film where Joaquin Phoenix is filming whats going on and he said something to the effect that people will see it but go back to eating their dinners. I couldn't help but chuckle a little there because it's so true. How many of us are sitting there watching the news saying to ourselves Wow why is this happening and then we turn the channel to our favorite show?
It got me to thinking more about the situation going on in Darfur, Sudan. I haven't heard anything about it lately and I know it can't be over. More things need to be done to prevent things like this from happening. I know we really shouldn't stick out noses in other peoples business' but when it comes to mass genocide, how can we turn our backs on the people that are counting on us.
Anyway....sorry this movie had a really powerful effect on me. I hope others will watch it and realize that there are things that are going on in this world beyond "our world". People are suffering, dying and it seems like no one is willing to help. I'm not getting preachy and telling people that they should be doing something when I'm not either but I want to do something for them. I think that once a person sees stuff like this that they are motivated to help and if thats what this movie does, then the movie has done something great.
When I read about it I thought it would be interesting to watch since I like to learn about world events and I really don't remember hearing about this when I was younger. I remember hearing about Somalia but not this. If ever there was a time to intervene in something, this would have been it. It was so sad what those people went through and no one would help them. I don't know if I could sleep knowing that I could have done something to help all those people but chose not to because their careers were more important. I know thats the idealist rearing its head but I can't help it. There is absolutely no reason that anyone should have to see and experience the things these people did. I was taken aback by the images I saw and I know that I only saw a dramatization of it. I don't think I could stomach seeing the real thing.
I think a lot of time people in this country, myself included, have become desensitized to things. There was a great scene in the film where Joaquin Phoenix is filming whats going on and he said something to the effect that people will see it but go back to eating their dinners. I couldn't help but chuckle a little there because it's so true. How many of us are sitting there watching the news saying to ourselves Wow why is this happening and then we turn the channel to our favorite show?
It got me to thinking more about the situation going on in Darfur, Sudan. I haven't heard anything about it lately and I know it can't be over. More things need to be done to prevent things like this from happening. I know we really shouldn't stick out noses in other peoples business' but when it comes to mass genocide, how can we turn our backs on the people that are counting on us.
Anyway....sorry this movie had a really powerful effect on me. I hope others will watch it and realize that there are things that are going on in this world beyond "our world". People are suffering, dying and it seems like no one is willing to help. I'm not getting preachy and telling people that they should be doing something when I'm not either but I want to do something for them. I think that once a person sees stuff like this that they are motivated to help and if thats what this movie does, then the movie has done something great.
posted by Kyleen at 3:02 AM
2 Comments:
A few years ago, "Black Hawk Down" had the same effect on me and some friends. We grew up never really knowing what happened in Mogudishu to our troops.
It's unbelieveable. Over there, it's another world. Human life means almost nothing to them.
Yeah I felt the same way. That was a great movie and I learned something from it. I didn't know any of that was going on. It's just so different over there. I hope that there is something that we can do to help them you know?
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