Hotel Rwanda Page #5

Paul, Tatiana, are by Thomas's car. They say good night to their

guests. Anais and Carine sleep in the car.

Paul nods to the old guard to go open the gate. Just then Roger emerges

from the thicket, wide-eyed, afraid.

ROGER:

There are soldiers.

PAUL:

Where?

ROGER:

On the street.

Paul nods to Tatiana to take Roger inside. Thomas and Fedens grab the

sleeping twins from their car.

Paul goes to his big metal gates and peers through the two inch gap

between the gate hinge and the gate post.

EXT. VICTOR'S HOUSE. NIGHT.

HE SEES:
(two houses down) the group of Hutu soldiers, clustered around

jeeps, they whisper and point. It's a raid.

Now they move rushing out of view.

The sounds of SPLINTERING WOOD, GLASS BREAKING, CHILDREN'S CRIES, WOMEN

SCREAMING.

Suddenly there's a face, beside Paul's. It's Tatiana.

TATIANA:

What is it?

She looks, sees the soldiers, as they drag a middle-aged man onto the

street.

He is crying, pleading, like a whipped dog.

TATIANA (CONT'D)

Oh, my God, it's Victor. Why do they want

Victor?

They watch as Victor is beaten to the jeep. At this point Victor looses

it completely, stops pleading, grabs on to a soldier, clinging,

screaming like a terrified child - like a man who knows he is going to

die. It's a horror.

TATIANA (CONT'D)

Do something.

PAUL:

What?

TATIANA:

Call your friends in the army. Call

someone. Victor is harmless. This is a

mistake.

PAUL:

Please, be quiet.

Tatiana, moves toward the gate handle.

TATIANA:

I'm going to talk to them.

Paul grabs her.

PAUL:

No.

TATIANA:

We must do something.

Paul takes her by the arm, leads her to the house.

PAUL:

What would you have us do? Argue with

these madmen? We cannot interfere.

INT. PAUL'S LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Thomas and Fedens wait, anxious, as Paul appears.

PAUL:

You better stay the night, it is too

dangerous to be on the streets.

Tatiana hides her anger.

TATIANA:

I'll fix a bed.

INT. PAUL'S BEDROOM. NIGHT

Paul lies in bed unable to sleep. The clock reads 3:00 am.

TATIANA:

Why didn't you call your contacts in the

army?

PAUL:

I couldn't help.

TATIANA:

You could have asked for a favor.

PAUL:

No, I could not. What do you know about

favors Tatiana, about barter and deals?

All day long I work to please this

officer, that diplomat, this tourist. To

store up favors so that if there is a

time when my family need help I have

powerful people I can call upon. Now you

would have me waste a precious favor on a

stranger.

TATIANA:

Victor was not a stranger, he was our

neighbor.

PAUL:

He was not family. Family is all that

matters. Do you think if you or I were

being dragged from here, any one of them

would lift a finger to help us?

TATIANA:

They do not have your connections.

PAUL:

Connections? I have no connections, only

favors. If I call to help Victor, a

General will think "Paul Rusesabagina is

a fool. He thinks my favors are so

numerous and so insignificant as to waste

them on everybody." Then my hard work is

doubly squandered. I insult the General

and I do not get to use my favor at all.

Please leave these things to my good

judgment.

His turn away indicates the discussion is over.

EXT. HOTEL FRONT GATE. MORNING

Paul's car rolls up to the hotel's guard house.

SUPER THE TITLE:
APRIL 6th, 1994.

An army jeep is parked just inside. General Bizimungu is in the

passenger seat, talking into a walkie-talkie.

The General gives an I'll see you soon wave.

EXT. HOTEL FORECOURT. DAY

The hotel entrance is a mini-jam of airport buses, white UN jeeps,

foreign news crew Land Rovers, and a TV repair van unloading monitors.

Paul marches in, past Zozo the bell hop, who helps the TV men unload.

PAUL:

Welcome, gentlemen.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY. DAY

The lobby buzzes with activity. At the reception, Gregoire is

surrounded by a BBC news crew: GLORIA, young, chic female

reporter/producer, and JOCK, tough, experienced Scottish cameraman, and

his local sound guy Peter. Gloria is upset.

GLORIA:

We reserved five rooms not two

GREGOIRE:

I'm sorry, ma'am, but I see only two here

in the computer.

Jock sees Paul.

JOCK:

Paul, how the hell are ya'?

PAUL:

I am delighted to see you, Mr. Daglish.

JOCK:

They moved you from the Diplomat?

PAUL:

Promoted. House Manager.

JOCK:

Good for you.

(moves closer)

We're having a little trouble, Paul. We

booked five rooms, but...

Paul moves behind the desk.

PAUL:

Let me check.

He punches into the computer.

PAUL:

Ah, I see the mistake. You were reading

CBC - the Canadian broadcasting people

instead of BBC Gregoire.

Close on the computer: It clearly states BBC - two rooms. Gregoire

looks to Paul with a mix of puzzlement and anger.

Of course, the BBC, five rooms.

(lies)

They are being prepared as we speak. I

have ordered fresh flowers and

complimentary champagne.

Gloria picks up her bag.

GLORIA:

Great, I really need a shower.

PAUL:

Just give me a moment to get your keys.

Paul better come up with three rooms fast. Then he spots the reporter

Benedict hovering at the door.

PAUL (CONT'D)

(to Gloria)

Excuse me for one second.

Paul hurries over to Benedict.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Benedict, you should meet the BBC people.

They could use your expertise.

Benedict is delighted. They head back across the lobby.

PAUL (CONT'D)

(whisper)

Benedict, General Bizimungu will be here

any moment. The BBC should talk to him.

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