Goucher Presents Screenings of "Hotel Rwanda"

November 29, 2009 |

Prior to the visit by human rights activist Paul Rusesabagina, Goucher College will present two viewings of the film Hotel Rwanda, which explores Rusesabagina’s heroic efforts in saving the lives of more than a thousand people during the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

UMOJA, Goucher’s Black Student Union, will sponsor the free film screenings on Sunday, November 29, at 9 p.m. and Monday, November 30, at 7 p.m. in Kelley Lecture Hall on both nights.

Rusesabagina will speak at Goucher on Tuesday, December 1, at 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved by contacting Goucher’s box office at 410-337-6333 or boxoffice@goucher.edu.

Based on a true story, Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 film that documents one of the worst atrocities in modern history. During only three months in 1994 almost 1 million people were brutally murdered in Rwanda during the Tutsi struggle with the Hutu militia.

In the face of these unspeakable actions, Paul Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle) summoned extraordinary courage to save the lives of 1,268 helpless refugees by granting them shelter in the four-star hotel he managed in Kigali, Rwanda.

Hotel Rwanda was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Writing for the Original Screenplay. It was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. The film also was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Best Original Song – Motion Picture, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.