"You're worse than a nigger - you're African."

This was a quote from Nick Nolte, who plays Colonel Oliver in the movie "Hotel Rwanda". I went to see Hotel Rwanda with Param, Nabila, Marlo, Kim, Sonia, Pete, Dave, and Dan. I wanted to see this movie before I left Calgary but knew that I would be missing the release date. I reckon that everyone in that movie cried - everyone.

The movie was incredible - I can see why it was nominated for an Oscar and Don Cheadle did an absolutely fantastic job of playing the role of Paul Rusesabagina. The quote used in the title was during the part of the movie when international reinforcements had arrived but only to evacuate foreign passport holders, not Rwandans. Colonel Oliver was telling Paul of what the world thinks of this draconian situation that was unfolding in front of them. It's true - people in priviledged parts of the world see these things on the television, computer, newspapers. When they are finished with it, they continue to eat their hot dinner, go to work/school in an environment which is safe, and they are in a home which provides them with all the comforts that they are afforded with. Rex Murphy (a Canadian television personality) said it perfectly, living in the West, is like winning the only lottery that matters in the world.

Hotel Rwanda is, for the most part, a deeply personal story, and it’s uniquely focused on one building (the hotel), the people within it, and the relationships between them. The filmmakers deliberately avoided focusing on the overwhelming horror of the genocide itself. The film does an absolutely fantastic job of creating a bizarre, surreal atmosphere, to let the audience feel the psychological terror of the genocide without going close on the slaughter.I have no doubt that this is one of the few movies that I have watched in the past year that got me completely and utterly emotionally involved. For other movies, I might be interacting with the story by way of associating my personal experiences with the characters, discerning opinions upon them, examining the development of the story, ways of expression, the cinematography, acting, etc. BUT, Hotel Rwanda simply took me over as I was watching it. My emotion was going along with Paul ( Don Cheadle) all the time. The director (Terry George) did a great great job in capturing the feelings of people facing uncertainty, horror, ridicules, anger, death, waning faith. Family, life and dignity/integrity become the largest things in the situation. What's more is that it squarely shows the realist thinking in international politics. It honestly shows the weakness/helplessness of the UN and the non-governmental organisations. It truthfully tells how indifferent most of the international community (and individuals) are towards the deprivation of social justice taking place in other parts of the world. It makes you question to what extent that it is true to say what we see is what we tolerate. It shows you how monstrous human being can be. It scares you how sanity would fail. At the same time, the uglier the people become, the more beautiful you find those who have managed to keep brave and maintain humanity. The movie fully succeeds in showing me the spirit, faith, and compassion that the world is dreaming for. It was a movie that exemplifies why I want to be a doctor.

For those of you that haven't done so, there are two things that you need to do. First, GO AND SEE HOTEL RWANDA. Second, go and read "Hope in Hell" by Dan Bortolotti. This is a book about the personal stories of doctors, nurses and nonmedical volunteers working under the aegis of Médecins Sans Frontières. It looks at how how these volunteers often work in poor and dangerous places, and the experience changes all of them. Some are traumatised, kinapped, even murdered. Many watch their idealism become disillusionment, their friends become strangers. Other feed on the adventure, fall in love, or find the family they never had. This book reveals the human face of an organisation that truly does provide hope in hell.