Hotel Rwanda Page #23

Colonel Oliver steps from the jeep, waving his pistol in the air.

Militia men swarm around him, push past to the truck.

INSIDE THE TRUCK:

A MACHETE SLASHES through the canvas.

Children scream, HANDS GRAB at people.

Benedict is hauled off the truck. Beaten.

Tatiana protects her kids in a corner, kicking at the hands that grab

for her.

ON THE STREET:
Xavier falls to the ground.

Screams, shouts, MORE SHOTS.

Oliver fights his way through to Xavier.

Oliver points his pistol.

The crowd backs off slightly.

Xavier gets to his feet.

BANG - more gun fire. IMMACULATA falls, wounded in the foot.

More are dragged from the trucks. Machetes flash in the sun.

Then HORNS, GUNFIRE - RWANDAN SOLDIERS drive through the crowd in two

jeeps. The crowd scatters, then re-forms as Rwandan soldiers push

between the Militia and the refugees.

As they do, another Militia gunman steps out, fires wildly at the

refugees, but wounds A RWANDAN SOLDIER in the stomach.

Suddenly fights erupt between the Militia and the soldiers.

EXT. HOTEL FORECOURT. DAY

Paul paces up and down, he can hear gunfire in the distance.

MACHINE GUNFIRE - THEN SINGLE SHOTS.

Paul jumps in the van, guns the engine, drives.

EXT. HOTEL FRONT GATE. DAY.

Paul's van speeds toward the gate.

THEN - A LOUD METALLIC SCREECHING NOISE

As a UN JEEP, its tires shot out, sparks cascading from wheel rims,

screams up to the guard house.

Paul slams on the brakes.

The jeep is followed by the two trucks, their canvas slashed fluttering

in the wind.

Paul throws the van into reverse and clears the way.

The convoy pulls up in front of the hotel.

Bloody and battered, the terrified refugees fall from the trucks.

Paul and Odette run among the casualties. Then he sees them:

Tatiana, clothes torn, scratches on her face.

The kids screaming in terror.

Paul runs to them, grabs, kisses, weeps louder.

Battered refugees everywhere, other hotel residents looking on -

equally terrified because: They know they are doomed.

Paul sees Roger, trembling, tears soak his face.

ROGER:

Papa! Papa!

He grabs Roger up. Tatiana struggles to Paul, embraces.

PAUL:

Thank God you are safe.

Tatiana breaks from the embrace.

TATIANA:

Did he bring the twins?

Paul shakes his head no.

EXT. HOTEL GARDENS. DAY

Paul sits alone on his secluded bench in the garden.

A cloud of despair shrouds him.

As he watches several women dip cooking pots into the pool.

He hurries toward them.

PAUL:

What are you doing?

TUTSI WOMAN:

There is no water from the pipes.

Paul heads for the front doors. He's intercepted by the two Rwandan

policemen stationed at the gate by Bizimungu.

GENDARME:

Where is our beer? You promised us beer.

PAUL:

Did you explain to the good General that

I have temporarily run out of stock?

GENDARME:

He said to ask Mitterand and the French

to send you more.

PAUL:

You will get it in due time. Now, please,

get back to the gate.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY. DAY

Paul enters, sees Zozo.

PAUL:

What is this about no water?

ZOZO:

It's true, sir, the water has been turned

off.

INT. HOTEL MANAGER’S OFFICE. DAY

Paul enters. Odette, Benedict watch CNN on the TV.

Paul shakes his head in disbelief.

PAUL:

We can still get CNN here in hell.

A state department woman gives a press conference.

ODETTE:

The Americans are talking about us.

ON TV:

STATE DEPT. OFFICER

From the reports we have received from

Rwanda it appears that acts of genocide

have been committed.

REPORTER:

Excuse me, how many acts of genocide does

it take to declare this a genocide?

STATE DEPT. OFFICER

I, ahh, there is, ahh we have

terminology, that has been.

BRIT REPORTER:

You haven't answered the question. How

many acts of genocide before your

government will declare this a genocide?

STATE DEPT. OFFICER

I'm not prepared to, nor am I able.

Everyone in the room is dumbfounded.

Then Benedict begins laughing, a maniacal laugh, then he bangs on his

chest, and hoots like a chimpanzee.

BENEDICT:

I've got it. I have the answer. Watch.

They all stare as he begins beating his chest, and hopping about like

an ape.

BENEDICT (CONT'D)

We must become mountain gorillas. Then

they can put us on the endangered species

list. Come on, try it. They think we're

halfway there already.

Benedict hops up onto a desk.

The door flies open. It's General Bizimungu.

He surveys the room, then points at Paul.

GENERAL BIZIMUNGU

Come here.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. DAY.

Bizimungu looks terrible, an alcoholic suffering D.T.s.

GENERAL BIZIMUNGU

Where are my supplies?

PAUL:

I'm sorry, General. The cellar is empty.

GENERAL BIZIMUNGU

You have cockroaches dancing on tables

and you tell me the cellar is empty? Did

they drink my whiskey?

PAUL:

No. We have no way of finding other stock

but I have money for you from the guests.

Paul pulls a bundle of notes, hands them to the General.

GENERAL BIZIMUNGU

Rwandan francs! They are only good now

for wiping your ass. There is nothing

more I can do for you people. No police.

No protection. You're on your own.

The General storms off.

INT. LOBBY. DAY

Paul walks through the lobby. He carries an ash tray to a trash can,

the futile task of a dedicated hotel manager on auto-pilot. He sees a

UN jeep pull up outside.

EXT. HOTEL FORECOURT. DAY

Paul meets the UN soldiers, (They are the four Ghanians who guard the

gate). They look frightened.

UN OBSERVER:

The policemen have gone. What happened?

PAUL:

I ran out of whiskey. Please go down and

guard us.

Then ROAR of an engine and the CRASH of splintering wood.

As a battered Toyota pickup appears, it races up the driveway. The

truck drags the wooden gatehouse on a rope behind.

Crazed Militia pack the bed of the pickup.

BANG, BANG, BANG. A Militia man fires a pistol into the air.

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