Hotel Rwanda Page #13

PAUL:

Take these people to the rear car park,

they can't stay here.

Suddenly women and children on the lawn scream and run in fear. Behind

them bushes shake, then suddenly a bloody figure wearing only boxer

shorts bursts out from among the trees and flees to the middle of the

driveway. It's the journalist, BENEDICT, covered in blood. His ear has

been chopped off.

PANDEMONIUM. As Paul runs to him, calls to Zozo.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Get Odette!

Paul grabs Benedict, tries to calm him.

PAUL (CONT'D)

What happened?

BENEDICT:

They're killing everyone. The Lady

Minister! The UN soldiers. They're at the

gate.

He points down the driveway. This sparks many of the women refugees,

and white guests, to flee inside the hotel.

Odette arrives with her bag, leads Benedict inside.

Jock has been filming all of this.

EXT. HOTEL DRIVEWAY. DAY

Now Jock runs, camera still on his shoulder, toward the gate.

Paul takes off after him.

More Tutsi refugees running up the driveway in fear.

EXT. HOTEL FRONT GATE. DAY

As Jock films, Paul arrives by the gate house. UN soldiers watch the

outside road. Engines roar, then.

A convoy of Toyota trucks circle on the road outside the gate. Drunken

Militia men on the back wave spears, machetes, one, in a woman's disco

wig, waves a cordless power drill. The drill bit is red with blood.

In the next truck, TWO Militia MEN triumphantly taunt the UN soldiers

as they hold blue UN helmets high on sticks. The helmets are shot

through with holes.

MILITIAMAN #1

We kill UN. We kill you next.

ENRAGED UN SOLDIERS cock their weapons, aim.

A UN armored car races past the Militia and turns into the driveway.

The back door opens, UN Colonel Oliver jumps out.

COLONEL OLIVER:

Hold the line here. Do not shoot!

The Colonel stabilizes the situation, his men watch the militia drive

by. Paul approaches Oliver

PAUL:

What's happening?

COLONEL OLIVER:

They murdered my soldiers. Ten Belgians

who I sent to get the lady minister.

PAUL:

Where is she?

Oliver shakes his head. He helps Paul clamber into the armored car.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY. DAY

Paul follows Oliver as he marches through the lobby. Several reporters

surround them.

REPORTERS:

Is it true about the Belgian soldiers...

Are all ten dead?

Paul watches the UN command disappear into an elevator.

EXT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. DAY

Paul is in the corridor, talking to Tatiana.

PAUL:

Has Roger spoken yet?

TATIANA:

No, Odette says he's in shock.

PAUL:

How can we help him.

TATIANA:

He needs to be in a safe place.

(a beat)

Have you heard from Mr. Garindi?

PAUL:

Give him time.

There's a clank of metal. Paul looks and sees:

A waiter struggling with a trolley of food by a door.

He hurries to help the waiter as Jock opens, indicates quiet, waves

Paul and the waiter in.

INT. HOTEL BBC ROOM. DAY

The room is set up as a make-shift broadcast center.

Gloria is on a phone to the BBC in London, she hangs up.

GLORIA:

Okay, we’re feeding through live now.

She fixes her outfit, sits straight up in the chair. Behind her two

monitors show footage of a plane crash and bodies along roads.

GLORIA:

Okay London .... and five four three two

one ...That’s correct Tom. Today's

gruesome ambush of a ten man Belgian

patrol has left the UN peacekeeping force

in a state of disarray. Its commander has

called for re-enforcements. However, the

General Council is deeply divided. The

United States, still smarting from the

UN's disastrous Somalia mission, has

indicated that it will veto any moves to

reinforce. Meanwhile, the slaughter goes

on. Gloria Brooks in Kigali, Rwanda.

Gloria on the phone, listens.

GLORIA:

And, cut ...good, give me a call guys,

let me know you’ve got it.

Jock turns to Paul.

JOCK:

Perfect timing.

PAUL:

This goes out live?

Jock points skyward.

JOCK:

Satellite feed.

GLORIA (ON PHONE)

Great. (listens) No kidding, When will

they be here? Excellent. Yes, call then.

She hangs up.

GLORIA (CONT'D)

The news room has heard that the French

and the Belgians are putting together an

intervention force.

PAUL:

When will they be here?

GLORIA:

Very soon.

PAUL:

Thank God.

Jock's is at the window scanning with his camera, getting b roll, then

he sees something.

JOCK:

Hey Peter, hook me back into the

monitors.

Jock’s filming as Peter makes the connection.

JOCK (CONT'D)

Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t.

GLORIA:

What is it?

Jock focuses

On the monitor:
blurry focus of a shanty town on a hill.

NOW FOCUS:
Of a crowd hovering close to a group of Rwandan Tutsis

seated on the ground. Two Militia emerge from the crowd, waving

machetes. They SLASH their way along the line, savage, powerful blows,

butchering people like cattle. (Author note: we will use real

news footage of this)

JOCK (CONT'D)

You f***ing see that!

GLORIA:

(shock)

Oh my God!

On Screen:
The crowd run off, waving machetes.

Gloria snaps out of her shock, snatches the phone, dials.

GLORIA (CONT'D)

It's Gloria. Listen we've footage,

unbelievable footage! A massacre!

Machetes, murderers, dead bodies. You

have to lead with this. We’ll send it

through right now. Wait 'til you see

this.

She puts the phone down, turns to the others, triumphant.

An embarrassed silence in the room. Jock is disgusted by her glee. He

picks up a plate from the trolley.

JOCK:

(to Gloria) Here, have a sandwich.

GLORIA:

F*** you.

She storms out. Paul fills the embarrassed silence.

PAUL:

I'm glad you filmed this. Now the West

will have to stop it. Excuse me,

gentlemen.

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