Worksheet1:BackgroundInformation
RWANDA
RwandaisacountryinCentralAfricawitha
populationof10millionpeople.Historical
recordsbeginwithaTutsikingwhotookpower
in1860.Duringthistime,theTutsiwerethe
aristocracyandtheHutuweretheirservants.
AfterWorldWarItheLeagueofNations(an
earlyversionoftheUnitedNations)gave
BelgiumpowertocontrolRwanda.
TheBelgiansusethealreadyexistingTutsiand
Hutudifferencesaspartoftheircolonial
system.TheHutuwereusedasforcedlaborfor
thecolonialadministrators,andtheTutsi
supervisedthem.In1933,Rwandansweregivenanethnicidentitycardshowingif
theywereHutuorTutsi.ThisIDcardandtheBelgian’spolicyoffavoringtheTutsi
overtheHutupreparedRwandaforfutureviolence.
In1959,threeyearsbeforeindependencefromBelgiumin1962,theHutus
overthrewtherulingTutsiking.Overthenextseveralyears,thousandsofTutsis
werekilled.About150,000wentintoexileinneighboringcountries.Thechildren
oftheseTutsiexilelaterformedarebelgroup,theRwandanPatrioticFront(RPF),
andbeganacivilwarin1990.Thiswar,alongwithpoliticalandeconomic
problems,madeethnictensionsworseandledtotheApril1994genocideshown
inthefilmHotelRwanda.
THEFILM
HotelRwandaisbasedonrealcharactersandeventsthathappenedinRwandain
1994.ItfocusesontheeffortsofPaulRusesabagina(Roo-se-sa-bag-eena),ahotel
manages,tohidehundredsofTutsirefugeesfromtheInterahamwe(Inter-ahham-way)militia.
CHARACTERSINTHEFILM
TatianaisPaul’swife.
SheisTutsi.Theyhave
threechildren
PaulRusesabaginaisthe
manageroftheMilles
ColinesHotel.HeisHutu
ColonelOliveriscommanderofthe
UNPeacekeepingforceinRwannda
GeneralBizimunguis
Hutu,headofthe
Rwandanarmy.
GeorgeRutagandaisaHutu
businessmanandleaderofan
InterhamweMilitiaGroup
WORKSHEET1:WHILEYOUWATCH
HUTUANDTUTSI00:00-17:10
Directions:Completethefollowingsentenceswithwordsfromthebox
GeorgeRutaganda,manager,Paul,radioannouncer,RwandaArmedForces,
business,MillesCollines,Interhamwe,powerful,Kigali,1994,
ColonelOliver,HutuPowerRadio,fools,Hutu
1. Thestoryissetin____________in_____________,Rwanda.
2. PaulRusesabaginaisthe_________ofthe_________________________
hotel.
3. ____________leadstheUnitedNationsPeacekeepingmissioninRwanda.
4. ____________isthebusinessmanwhosellssuppliesto____________.
Heisalsothe_______________atthebeginningofthefilmurgingHutus
to“squashthecockroaches.”Theradiostationyouhearis
_____________.
5. PaulfeelsworkingwithGeorgeisjust__________.HefeelsGeorgeand
hisfollowersare_________andwon’tbe___________formuchlonger.
6. The__________area_____________militiagroup.Theyarenotthe
sameastheRwandanarmy.TheyhavecontrolofHutuPowerRadio.
7. GeneralBizimunguistheheadofthe____________________.
Worksheet2:WHILEYOUWATCH
23:35-37:30
Answerthefollowingquestions:
1. “Ourgreatpresidentismurderedbythetutsicockroaches.Theytricked
himtosigntheirphonypeaceagreement.Thentheyshothisplanfrom
thesky.Itistimetoclearthebrush.GoodHutusofRwanda.Wemustcut
thetalltrees.Cutthetalltreesnow!Letusgotowork,loyalHutus.”
a. Whosaidthis?
b. Whowasagainstthepeaceagreementandwhodoyouthink
actuallyshotdownthePresident’splane?
c. Whatdoesthespeakermeanby“Wemustcutthetalltrees.”?
Worksheet3:WHILEYOUWATCH
37:30-56:50
TrueorFalse?
1. PaulcallsMr.tillens,theownerofthehotel,becauseheisafraidMr.
Tillenswillclosethehotel.Ifthehotelisclosed,therewillbenosafe
shelterforrefugees.
2. TheEuropeanInterventionforceisnotgoingtostayandissenttoonly
evacuateforeignguests.
3. ColonelOliveragreeswiththedecisiontoevacuatetheforeignguests
only.
4. PauliscorrectwhenhetellsMr.TillenseverythingiscalmandtheUnited
Nationshaseverythingundercontrol.
ClassDiscussion:
PaulthanksJackforriskinghislikeandfilmingthekilling.PaulhopesJack’s
braverywillbringhelp.Jackreplies,“Ifpeopleseethisfootage,they’llsay‘Oh
myGod,that’shorrible’andthenthey’llgooneatingtheirdinners.”
1. IsJackright?
2. Ifheisright,howwouldyousolvethatproblem?
Worksheet4:WHILEYOUWATCH
56:50-1:16:25
MatchtheQuotewiththepersonwhosaidit.
PaulRusesabagina,GeorgeRutaganda,Mr.Tillens,U.S.StateDepartmentofficial,
GeneralBizimungu
1. “IpleadedwiththeFrenchandtheBelgianstogobackandgetyouall.I
amafraidthisisnotgoingtohappen.They’recowardsPaul”___________
2. “Wehaveeveryreasontobelievethatactsofgenocidehave
occurred.”_____________
3. “Yourwhitefriendshaveabandonedyou.Iwilltakecareof
you.”___________
4. “WhenIlastspoketothePresidentofSabena,heassuredmethatany
whohelpedprotectBelgianpropertywouldbewell
rewarded.___________
5. “Yourrichcockroachesatthehotel,theirmoneyisnogoodtothem
anymore.SoonalltheTutsiswillbedead.___________
Worksheet5:WHILEYOUWATCH
1:16:25-1:34:35
PutthefollowingeventsinthecorrectorderbymarkingthemA-E.“A”being
thefirsteventand“E”beingthelastevent.
1. TheRwandaArmyrescuestheconvoy.
2. Pauldecidesnottoleavewithhisfamily.
3. TheUNbringsexitvisasforsomefamilies.
4. PaulcallsGeneralBizimunguandaskshimtostoptheambush.
5. ThehotelstaffheadontheradioInterhamweisplanningtoambushthe
convoy.
Worksheet6:WHILEYOUWATCH
1:34:35-End
Answerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whydoesn’tGeneralBizimunguwanttohelpPaul?
2. WhenPaulgetsbacktothehotel,whatisheafraidhashappenedto
hisfamily?
3. WhenthepeoplefromMillesCollinesareinthebus,theydrive
throughagunfight.Whoisshootingatwho?
4. Intherefugeecamp,whydoesMadamArcherstopthebus?