In 1994, Rwanda endured a genocide of about 800,000 people, mostly minority Tutsi slaughtered by machete-wielding Hutu, the country's majority. During the three months of killing, Paul Rusesabagina, now often called the Rwandan Schindler, sheltered and saved more than 1,200 people in the hotel he managed in the capital city of Kigali. Hotel Rwanda
is of course the acclaimed film about Rusesabagina, played by Don Cheadle; George is the film's director, and in this powerful volume he marshals writings by himself and others that provide context and commentary on both the movie and the holocaust that prompted it. The book most notably includes the screenplay of Hotel Rwanda
by Keir Pearson and George, an inspiring and devastating script. Of only slightly less emotional impact is the transcript of "The Triumph of Evil," a Frontline/PBS documentary about the genocide and the West's (and the U.N.'s) neglect of it—among the commentators is Philip Gourevitch, whose We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families
helped bring the genocide to global attention. Pieces by Pearson and George explain their involvement in the project (it all began in 1999 when a novelist friend of Pearson's told him Rusesabagina's story), followed by two journalists' accounts (by Brit Nicola Graydon and Hollywood reporter Anne Thompson) of Rusesabinga and the movie; a "history" section explains Rwanda's past. Also included is a list of books, Web and other resources. George writes in an epigraph, "For the dead of Murambi. I will never forget." This important book will inspire others to take the same vow. (Feb.)
