Garnet's Life Adventures

800,000 killed in 100 days. Would you risk your life to make a difference?

I think everyone should be required to watch the movie, Shooting Dogs also known as Beyond the Gates in America. It is based on the experiences of David Belton, a BBC employee who was working in Rwanda during the genocide in 1994. A really cool aspect of this movie unlike Hotel Rwanda is that it was filmed on the original location instead of South Africa. Some survivors of the genocide also played a role in the production and took minor acting roles in the movie. I think it was my mum who asked me why it was called Shooting Dogs and I think the answer was from the fact that UN peacekeepers would shoot local dogs that were eating decomposing bodies of the genocide victims but yet refused to shoot the Hutu extremists - which was somewhat funny considering that the UN peacekeepers where told not to shoot unless fired upon first & as they mention in the movie, it's not like the dogs had fired at them - which I thought was a great line!!

I think the thing I liked about this movie way better than Hotel Rwanda was I felt it was much more heart felt than Hotel Rwanda. Not to say that Hotel Rwanda isn't a good movie, just for me, I was able to "feel" for the characters in Shooting Dogs much more. If you get a chance to rent this movie you totally should! If you'd like to see more photos from Rwanda which were taken just last year, please visit Adam Bacher's blog.

Okay off to read Left to Tell written by a woman who survived the genocide in Rwanda her name is Immaculee Ilibagiza. More info on this book later, I fear I might have trouble sleeping since I only read 5 pages on the bus ride home before I realised I'd nearly missed my stop . . . btw 119.5 hours till I leave :)

Labels: books, movies, rwanda

posted by Sara @ 8:07 pm