Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story . . . and Why It Matters Today
Apr 2014 · BenBella Books, Inc.
4.7star
3 reviews
Ebook
240
Pages
About this ebook
A survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide reveals what really went on at the famed Hôtel des Mille Collines.
In 2004, the Academy Award–nominated movie Hotel Rwanda lionized hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina for single-handedly saving the lives of all who sought refuge in the Hôtel des Mille Collines during the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. Because of the film, the real-life Rusesabagina has been compared to Oskar Schindler. In this first-person account, survivor Edouard Kayihura tells his own personal story of what life was really like during those harrowing days within the walls of that infamous hotel, and offers the testimonies of others who survived there, from Hutu and Tutsi to UN peacekeepers.
In the wake of Hotel Rwanda’s international success, the author reveals, Rusesabagina is one of today’s most well-known Rwandans—but has become the face of the very Hutu Power groups who drove the genocide. He is accused by the Rwandan prosecutor general of being a genocide negationist and funding the terrorist group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). This book exposes the Hollywood hero as a profiteering and politically ambitious Hutu Power sympathizer who extorted money from those who sought refuge, threatening to send those who did not pay to the génocidaires, despite pleas from the hotel’s corporate ownership to stop.
Inside the Hotel Rwanda is at once a harrowing memoir, a critical deconstruction of a heralded Hollywood movie, and a political analysis aimed at exposing a falsely created public image.
“This book offers a window into the real life experience of those who hid in the Hôtel des Mille Collines during the 100 days of the genocide. For those who have learned of this story only through the famous movie Hotel Rwanda, the story of Edouard Kayihura is a privileged opportunity to put reality to the Hollywood dramatization.” —Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire (retired) force commander of the United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda between 1993 and 1994
In 2004, the Academy Award–nominated movie Hotel Rwanda lionized hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina for single-handedly saving the lives of all who sought refuge in the Hôtel des Mille Collines during the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. Because of the film, the real-life Rusesabagina has been compared to Oskar Schindler. In this first-person account, survivor Edouard Kayihura tells his own personal story of what life was really like during those harrowing days within the walls of that infamous hotel, and offers the testimonies of others who survived there, from Hutu and Tutsi to UN peacekeepers.
In the wake of Hotel Rwanda’s international success, the author reveals, Rusesabagina is one of today’s most well-known Rwandans—but has become the face of the very Hutu Power groups who drove the genocide. He is accused by the Rwandan prosecutor general of being a genocide negationist and funding the terrorist group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). This book exposes the Hollywood hero as a profiteering and politically ambitious Hutu Power sympathizer who extorted money from those who sought refuge, threatening to send those who did not pay to the génocidaires, despite pleas from the hotel’s corporate ownership to stop.
Inside the Hotel Rwanda is at once a harrowing memoir, a critical deconstruction of a heralded Hollywood movie, and a political analysis aimed at exposing a falsely created public image.
“This book offers a window into the real life experience of those who hid in the Hôtel des Mille Collines during the 100 days of the genocide. For those who have learned of this story only through the famous movie Hotel Rwanda, the story of Edouard Kayihura is a privileged opportunity to put reality to the Hollywood dramatization.” —Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire (retired) force commander of the United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda between 1993 and 1994
Ratings and reviews
4.7
3 reviews
About the author
Edouard Kayihura is a human rights activist and survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which, he spent 100 days as a refugee in the Hotel des Mille Collines a.k.a. "Hotel Rwanda." Before he moved to the United States, he was the prosecutor in charge of the department of the prosecutions of the genocide crime and crimes against humanity before the Tribunal of the First Instance of Kigali. He was also executive secretary and legal representative of Kanyarwanda Human Rights. He speaks at different schools and universities in the states about his experience; Transitional Justice and Reconciliation; and Genocide denial. He is the member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Kerry Zukus 's debut novel, The Fourth House, was a Featured Selection of the Book of the Month Club®, the Doubleday Book Club©, and the Literary Guild©, divisions of Random House/Doubleday Entertainment, where it sold out its first two printings. The Fourth House had previously been named a finalist for the prestigious James Jones Award, annually given to the best first novel by an American author.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.