Hotel Rwanda

Set during the brutal violence following Rwanda's 1994 genocide, the film follows a Kigali hotel manager who turns his establishment into a lifeline for frightened families. Paul Rusesabagina navigates a maze of fear and international indifference as he uses his position and contacts to shelter more than a thousand refugees inside the hotel. The story centers on one man who refuses to abandon his neighbors, while the hotel becomes a fragile sanctuary amid dwindling supplies and mounting threats. The tension comes from sudden raids, hostile soldiers, and the peril of decisions made in hours that can change lives. The film avoids graphic brutality while keeping the focus on moral choices and human dignity.

Released in 2004, Hotel Rwanda was directed by Terry George with screenplay by Keir Pearson. It draws on the real life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotelier who sheltered refugees during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, turning a busy hotel into a fragile sanctuary amid constant danger and political pressure.

Hotel Rwanda helped bring a devastating chapter of world history into public view and sparked conversations about humanitarian aid and international intervention. Don Cheadle's nuanced portrayal of Rusesabagina and Sophie Okonedo's performance were widely praised and helped personalize a distant crisis for global audiences, earning acclaim for restraint amid chaos.

Critics highlighted its moral core and restrained approach to violence, focusing on courage, loyalty, and the moral calculus of saving lives under pressure. The film uses a single setting and intimate stakes to explore how ordinary people can confront atrocity without surrendering hope, while also inviting reflection on responsibility and history.

Box office figures are not provided here. Hotel Rwanda performed modestly for a historical drama, with a measured release in North America and internationally that found audiences in multiple markets and endured in home media and streaming platforms.