Hotel Rwanda Page #16

PAUL:

Come on son, everything is all right.

He slides him out, clutches him in his arms, then turns him over to

Tatiana as he phones the front desk.

PAUL (CONT'D)

(on phone)

Who is this? Zozo. I know. Get them beer.

He turns to Tatiana.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Go to the roof now.

TATIANA:

(terrified)

What for Paul.

PAUL:

(forceful)

Do as I say. I will be there soon.

He hurries out.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. DAY

Paul's door opens, his head appears round the corner.

The corridor is empty of soldiers. Now, frightened Tutsis peer out from

their rooms. A group of men, among them the politician Xavier, are

gathered in the hallway. Paul spots one man holding a pistol. He runs

up.

PAUL:

(to the man with the pistol)

Are you mad? They will gun us all down.

PISTOL MAN:

Better to die by the bullet than the

machete.

Paul pulls the gun off him.

PAUL:

Wait here, please.

Paul hands the gun to Xavier, hurries off.

INT. HOTEL MANAGER'S OFFICE. DAY

Paul bursts in, sits by the phone and dials.

PAUL (ON PHONE)

Good day, General Bizimungu please. Do

you know where he is? Please ask him to

call Paul Rusesabagina. It is urgent.

Phone again.

A SERIES OF FLASH CUTS: increasingly frantic calls.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Colonel Bagsora. Where? Can you find him?

ANOTHER CALL:

PAUL (CONT'D)

Who would order such a thing?

ANOTHER CALL:

PAUL (CONT'D)

Did you find the General?

Paul hangs up the phone defeated. He looks at his watch. His head flops

onto the desk, onto the Sabena logo. He sees it.

INT. SABENA PRESIDENT'S OFFICE. DAY

The Sabena president and two VPs sit on couches.

PRESIDENT:

If British Airways abandons the route we

should bid for it.

His intercom buzzes, he's annoyed then.

SECRETARY (ON PHONE)

I'm sorry, sir. I have a call from Paul

in Kigali. He says it's urgent.

The president goes to the phone, hits the speaker button.

PRESIDENT:

Paul. Are you alright?

PAUL (O.S.)

We have a big problem. The Hutu army have

come and ordered us all of us out of the

hotel.

The president is baffled.

PRESIDENT:

Out? Where are you going?

PAUL:

I do not know, sir. I think they will

kill us all.

The president can barely form words to reply.

PRESIDENT:

All. What do you mean all?

PAUL:

The staff, the guests.

PRESIDENT:

The staff and guests! How many?

PAUL:

Now we have eight hundred guests and one

hundred staff. I have ten minutes left.

I wish I could have done more, sir.

Please, thank all my friends at Sabena.

You have been good to me and my family.

PRESIDENT:

(panicked) Paul, wait, wait, I'm going to

put you on hold for one minute, stay on

the phone.

He hits the hold button. Looks to the other executives. They are

stunned to silence by Paul's profound farewell.

INT. HOTEL MANAGER'S OFFICE. DAY

Paul listens to music on the phone.

INT. SABENA EXTERIOR OFFICES. DAY

Pandemonium - the president has everyone working the phones.

PRESIDENT:

Get the prime minister's office. Call

General Chareaux. Louis get the UN. Tell

them this is Belgian property.

INT. HOTEL MANAGER'S OFFICE. DAY

The music is suddenly interrupted.

PRESIDENT (O.S.)

Paul, are you there?

PAUL:

Yes, thank you Mr. President.

PRESIDENT (O.S.)

Paul, if you have one call in all the

world to stop this, who would you call?

Paul thinks.

PAUL:

The French. They supply the Rwandan army.

PRESIDENT (O.S.)

Paul, do everything you can to buy time.

I will call you back.

Paul hurries from the room.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY. DAY

Zozo at the computer, printing something. Paul walks up, sees: The

Hotel's Registry printing. Paul grabs it, studies.

PAUL:

What are you doing?

ZOZO:

The lieutenant wants the register.

He pushes Zozo toward the elevator.

PAUL:

Go and get more beer.

Now Paul is on the computer, typing.

ON SCREEN:
The register shows that day's date: April 13.

Paul hits a few keys.

ON SCREEN:
The date above the register is April 4.

Paul hits the print button. The printer clicks to life.

EXT. HOTEL FORECOURT. DAY

Paul with the printed registry and Zozo with beer walk to the jeeps.

The soldiers don't wait for the Captain's order, they mob Zozo, grab

beers. The lieutenant marches up to Paul.

LIEUTENANT:

Where's the guest list?

Paul hands him the printout. He studies it, reads.

LIEUTENANT (CONT'D)

Anderson, Arthurs, Boulier. What is this?

PAUL:

The guest list. It hasn't been updated

since the murder of the president.

The lieutenant grabs Paul by the shirt.

LIEUTENANT:

Are you trying to make a fool of me?

There are no Europeans left in that

hotel. Get me the names of all the

cockroaches in there.

PAUL:

That will take time.

LIEUTENANT:

You don't have time. If I do not have the

names, so that I can pick out the

traitors, then I will kill everyone here

in this car park. Get in there now.

Paul turns to walk back in. The lieutenant hurries to his men, pulls

beers from their hands, smashes them on the ground. One soldier comes

running to him with a radio. Paul watches. The lieutenant listens, then

calls to Paul.

LIEUTENANT (CONT'D)

Hey you, come here.

Paul returns.

LIEUTENANT (CONT'D)

Who did you call?

PAUL:

Call, sir?

LIEUTENANT:

Don't lie to me. What's your name?

PAUL:

Rusesabagina. Paul Rusesabagina.

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