"When the world closed its eyes, he opened his arms."
Director: Terry George
Cast: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte, Fana Mokoena, Desmond Dube
Hotel Rwanda — Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
I think if people see this footage, they'll say 'Oh, my God, that's horrible.' And then they'll go on eating their dinners.
Context
Spoken to Paul after he thanks the journalist for capturing footage of the massacres, hoping it will bring intervention.
Meaning
A defining line of the film that encapsulates the apathy of the global audience. It predicts the viewer's own reaction—momentary shock followed by a return to comfort.
You're dirt. We think you're dirt, Paul. ... You're not even a n*****r. You're an African.
Context
The Colonel tells this to Paul at the hotel bar after learning the UN is pulling out rather than reinforcing.
Meaning
A brutal exposition of Western geopolitics and racism. It explains why no troops are coming: in the eyes of the world powers, African lives have zero strategic or human value.
We must shame them into sending help.
Context
Paul instructing the refugees to call their influential friends abroad to say goodbye, hoping to trigger a moral response.
Meaning
Shows Paul's transition from bribery to using the media and guilt as a weapon. He realizes their only hope is to make the West feel embarrassed by their inaction.
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