I know that I am behind the times in recognizing this movie, since it has been out for a while. But this was one of those movies that I wanted to see for some time but just never got to it. A couple of days ago, I did get around to renting it and that only disappointment I had was that I waited so long.
Hotel Rwanda
This movie is about a hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (played amazingly by Don Cheadle) and how he was able to save the lives of over 1,200 Tutsis' by sheltering them in his hotel. This was a compelling story of one man's courage and his compassion to do whatever he could to save these lives from the Hutu militia in Rwanda. This is a story of a man who acted like a modern day Oscar Schindler. You definitely need to watch the special features on the DVD. The feature that will make you cry is when Paul returns back to Rwanda and his visit to one of the biggest genocide memorials is documented.
But before I had ever watched Hotel Rwanda, I saw Sometimes in April
This film is a HBO production depicting the Rwandan genocide. This movie didn't have the flash and star power of Hotel Rwanda, but it surpassed it as more compelling film. Sometimes in April takes the audience outside of the relative "safe" compound of Hotel Rwanda and reveals a much gritter and scarier side of the genocide. In fact some of the scenes in the movie are not for the faint of heart, but of course there is no way a film maker can sugarcoat the genocide of 1 million people over a period of 100 days.
When we watch these movies, we look into the past, seeing events over 10 years ago and we are reminded that not much has changed. The motto of survivors from the Holocaust was "Never Again". Unfortunately horrific events of genocide continue and continue from the Holocaust to the present (just look in the news about what is happening in Darfur, Sudan).
A couple of months ago, a friend gave me a DVD called Invisible Children and said that I needed to watch it.
Invisible children
Invisible Children is a 2003 documentary based on the experiences of three college students in Northern Uganda. What they found were thousands of people affected by the insurgency of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The resulting story focuses on the war's effects on children, particularly child solders.They found that thousands of children flee their homes nightly in order to escape being abducted. Children in Uganda are regularly abducted by the LRA to be trained as child soldiers. The children have only two options, either stay in their homes and be brutally abducted by the the LRA or flee. So every evening, the children run from their homes and walk miles to find shelter in hospitals or bus parks in the city. (Wikipedia)
I know that movies provide great escapism, but movies also provide an opportunity to get under our skin. Too often I live with my head in the sand, living in my safe, American bubble. But movies like Hotel Rwanda, Sometimes in April and Invisible Children burst that bubble. After watching these movies, I am tempted to want to turn away, but the gospel compels me not to. The gospel compels me to act. The gospel compels me to pray for and seek justice...
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
I can't turn away, and I must speak out for those who don't have any voice. Christ's love compels me to do nothing less. Unfortunately, I have allowed my own busyness and my own little agendas to consume my attention. I repent of my own self-absorbed life and agenda.
Let these movies provoke your heart, but don't let it just end there, speak out and let others know about these injustices. Currently there are opportunities for us to act, go to Invisible Children website to get more information. Let us make more noise, let's get on our knees to pray and let's allow our hearts to be driven to compassion and action.
1 comments:
Bill,
I didn't see these except for the first, "Hotel Rwanda." Might make a good missions movie. I've thought of the reaction were I to show this on a Sunday night. Might do this.
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