Hotel Rwanda Page #20

INT. RUTAGANDA'S WAREHOUSE. DAY

The warehouse is filled with looted televisions, artwork, cars. George

points to the stacks of beer.

GEORGE:

Everything is double the price now, you

do understand that?

PAUL:

I need rice, beans, beer, and your best

whiskey.

GEORGE:

Beer yes, but no whiskey.

PAUL:

You have no whiskey?

GEORGE:

No whiskey, no spirits. Your rich

cockroaches at the hotel, they will have

to do without their scotch. Anyway, I

have bled that cow enough Paul.

Paul counts out the Rwandan francs.

PAUL:

What do you mean George?

GEORGE:

Their money is no good to them. Soon all

the Ineysi will be dead.

PAUL:

(incredulous) )

You cannot kill them all.

GEORGE:

Why not? We are half way there already.

Paul's stomach heaves. He hides it, turns over the money, gets in the

van with Gregoire. George comes to the passenger window.

GEORGE (CONT'D)

Let me give you a tip my friend, our

generals in the army say 'do not go near

the Mille Collines or they will send the

Belgian soldiers back here'. But the

generals are about to leave, and we will

be in charge. It is time to butcher your

cow for the meat. (a beat)

You can help us Paul. You have some very

important traitors at your hotel. The

politician Xavier. The liar Benedict. If

we were to get them, then maybe we could

let one or two cockroaches get away. You

understand, Paul.

Paul says nothing, but Gregoire has been listening very carefully.

PAUL:

Let's go.

GEORGE:

Take the river road back. It is clear.

The van takes off.

INT. VAN. DAWN

The fog has gotten thicker. They can barely see a yard ahead.

PAUL:

Are you sure this is the river road?

GREGOIRE:

I saw the sign.

The van begins to bump erratically. Bump, bump, bump.

PAUL:

Stop. You've driven off the road.

You'll put us in the river.

The van jerks to a halt.

EXT. RIVER ROAD. DAWN

Paul clambers out, stumbles, falls.

And discovers he's looking at the face of a dead child, a young Tutsi

girl, her hands clasped on her ears as though to block the sound of her

own death - an African Munz's Scream.

Paul clambers to his feet, sees that the van is on a road littered with

dead bodies, men, women, children.

The bumps were dead bodies, the van has driven over them.

A breeze from the lake blows the fog clear for thirty feet.

REVEALING:
a carpet of bodies, hundreds of them sprawled all along the

road as far as Paul can see. Paul wanders stunned among misshapen

corpses, made more ghostly by wisps of fog.

Finally, Paul clambers shell-shocked back into the van.

PAUL:

Go back! Go back!

Gregoire throws the van into reverse.

They bump back over the carpet of bodies, each shake and crunch another

horror.

EXT. HOTEL REAR DELIVERY AREA. DAY

The van pulls up at the rear suppliers entrance. Paul hops out, turns

to Gregoire.

PAUL:

Tell no one what you saw, do you

understand?

Gregoire, Zozo and the porters begin unloading the van.

EXT. HOTEL GARDENS. DAY

Paul wanders to a bench set back in a manicured grove of bushes. Beyond

him a crowd of Rwandan refugee children play in the swimming pool,

laughing, jumping, splashing like they were at a municipal pool in

Central Park.

Paul watches. Tears stream from his eyes, the stream grows into a

flood, he buries his face in his hands.

Then a voice.

LITTLE BOY (O.S.)

Mr. Manager.

Paul wipes his eyes, turns.

A little boy stands behind him, holding out his arm.

LITTLE BOY (CONT'D)

Mr. Manager, sir.

Then Paul sees what is wrong. The boy Has a big thorn imbedded in the

muscle of his arm. Paul studies it.

PAUL:

That's a big one. (pinches the thorn)

Here we go.

Paul pulls on the thorn, the kid doesn't flinch.

Paul picks him up, carries him to the pool, throws him in.

INT. HOTEL PAUL'S ROOM. NIGHT

Tatiana feeds the children - rice and beans. Paul arrives.

CHILDREN:

Good evening, Papa.

PAUL:

Roger, you have no greeting for me.

Roger tries to speak, struggles to mouth the words but nothing comes

out, as though he has forgotten. Tears form in his eyes.

PAUL (CONT'D)

There, do not worry, no tears.

He hugs him, puts him back at his food, then takes Tatiana's hand,

leads her to the door.

TATIANA:

(whispers) Where are we going?

They slip out.

INT. HOTEL ROOF DOOR. NIGHT

Tatiana stops.

TATIANA:

Please, Paul, why do we have to go to the

roof?

PAUL:

It's alright. This is the only place I

can find some peace.

EXT. HOTEL ROOF. NIGHT

Paul slips out onto the roof. Tatiana follows. Artillery and mortar

fire rumble in the distance. Flashes silhouette along the far hills

above Kigali.

He leads her to a blanket, a candle, two glasses and the bottle of

wine. They sit. He opens the wine.

TATIANA:

(laughs) I hear we must pay for

everything. How much for this?

PAUL:

A kiss.

They kiss.

TATIANA:

You are a very good man, Paul

Rusesabagina.

She kisses him again.

PAUL:

I have a confession. When we met...

TATIANA:

In Ruhengeri?

PAUL:

Yes, when you worked as the nurse.

TATIANA:

Yes.

PAUL:

I had you transferred to Kigali.

TATIANA:

What?

PAUL:

I bribed the Minister of Health to have

you transferred to Kigali.

TATIANA:

Why?

PAUL:

To be closer. So that I could marry you.

TATIANA:

What was the bribe?

(silence)

What am I worth to you?

PAUL:

It was substantial.

TATIANA:

Tell me what it was.

Rate this script:2.0 / 2 votes