Hotel Rwanda Parent Notification

One of the 100 most inspirational
movies of all time. (link)
So what is happening after the test? We are going to engage students in discussion and analysis of the film Hotel Rwanda, a dramatized depiction of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Having shown this film before, I can attest to its power to motivate students to think critically about international violence, and the responsibility of the individual, groups of individuals, and political movements. I will use a teaching guide produced by Amnesty International

We will not only study the Rwandan Genocide (1994), but also relate it to the other atrocities of the modern world. The genocide of Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992-1995) also occurred at the same time as Rwanda (1994). Many are familiar with the Holocaust (1930s and 1940s) during World War II. The students have already studied about the horrors of the Nanking Massacre, Mao’s Great Leap Forward (late 1950s and early 1960s), Stalin’s forced famine of his own people in Russia or Holodomor (1937), Pol Pot's Killing Fields in Cambodia (1969-1975) and The Armenian Genocide (1915-1924). We will also discuss The War in Darfur (2003-present). Information on Hotel Rwanda will be included on the final exam. 


I would also like you to be aware that this film is rated PG-13. As a courtesy to you, I would like you to acknowledge your consent before I show the film. If a student is not given permission, an alternative assignment will be provided.

Link to Questions for Hotel Rwanda Film.


Official Trailer for Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Ten years ago some of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind took place in the country of Rwanda--and in an era of high-speed communication and round the clock news, the events went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world. In only three months, one million people were brutally murdered. In the face of these unspeakable actions, inspired by his love for his family, an ordinary man summons extraordinary courage to save the lives of over a thousand helpless refugees, by granting them shelter in the hotel he manages. Written by Sujit R. Varma from IMDB.