Hotel Rwanda Essay

Words: 725
Pages: 3

Part B
1. Identify the ethical issues raised in the DVD. Explain specific examples that qualify your ethical understanding from the film to illustrate these.
The 2004 film Hotel Rwanda was based upon the true story of Paul Rusesabagina and his family who fought for 100 days to escape the deadly country outlines a range of ethical issues including Bribery, dictatorship, war, genocide and discrimination. Bribery is demonstrated when the mass killings begin, Paul's Tutsi neighbours rush for safety to his house. Reluctantly, Paul takes them in and bribes a Rwandan army officer to allow him to bring them to the hotel. The film also exemplifies dictatorship which was a prevalent issue during the Rwandan genocide. The dictatorship is displayed as a
…show more content…
A prevalent issue that could arise from bribery include, the rebels expecting and wanting more each time there is an encounter. Encouraging bribery suggests that the rebels are being rewarded for their inhumane actions against the Tutsi’s.
The head of the UN peacekeeping force, distraught over the withdrawal of his troops, tells Paul to look at himself from a Western perspective to try and understand why the international community has abandoned them—because they are African. This demonstrates discrimination and animosity to the Rwandan’s because of their ethnicity.

3. What moral lesson does the director intend through his portrayal of ethical issues
Terry George, the director of Hotel Rwanda, stated that he made the film as ‘a message for peace’. He believed that even though Western media reported what was taking place in Rwanda between April and July of 1994, many people were not aware of the brutality or even if they were, could not imagine exactly what this meant in human terms. Terry also felt that it was important to point out the lack of support from the West for the Rwandans going through this