Hotel Rwanda Page #7

George falls into his chair.

PAUL:

Forgive me, George, my step was off.

Rutagunda bursts out laughing, toasts:

GEORGE:

To our president. May he find peace.

As Paul is forced to join in the toast, Rutagunda laughs, Bizimungu

smiles at some insider joke.

INT. HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM. EVENING

Reporters and crews pack up their equipment. Paul shakes hands, orders

porters to pick up cases. Then a porter whispers a message to Paul.

PAUL:

Excuse me, gentlemen.

EXT. HOTEL FORECOURT. NIGHT

Paul emerges, discovers Fedens and Thomas - they look embarrassed to be

in such exulted surroundings.

THOMAS:

Forgive us, Paul. We must talk.

PAUL:

What's wrong?

THOMAS:

We are leaving Rwanda, Paul.

PAUL:

Go to the terrace, I will join you.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOTEL POOL TERRACE. NIGHT

Drinks are served at a table as Paul listens to Thomas.

THOMAS:

My assistant, the Hutu Power man, says we

should get out now, that soon it will be

very bad.

Paul stifles his anger.

PAUL:

Give me this man's name.

THOMAS:

His name is Naramaranga, but please,

Paul, even though he is Hutu Power, he is

a friend, he likes me. He told me there

is a signal. It is "Cut the tall trees."

When they hear the signal, the militia

are to go to war.

FEDENS:

Please, let us take Tatiana with us. You

are Hutu, you will be safe.

PAUL:

Thomas, Fedens, I am a man who looks

after his family. If there were danger I

would be the first to leave?

BANG - a distant explosion, a flash of light on the far side of the

city. Fedens jumps.

FEDENS:

What was that?

PAUL:

Calm yourself, it is fireworks to

celebrate the peace.

THOMAS:

Please, Paul, tomorrow I will bring you

my car. You will sell it for me and get a

fair price. We will go to Tanzania until

there is real peace.

ZOZO:

Excuse me, Paul, you have a call.

Zozo hands Paul a cordless phone.

PAUL:

Hello. Tatsi. Yes, they are here. Yes. I

know but I want them to calm down.

Thomas and Fedens listen.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Already the press are packing their bags.

The BBC man told me there's no story

here. We are boring now. I'll be home

soon.

He hangs up.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Let us all go home and sleep.

EXT. HOTEL FORECOURT. EVENING

Paul escorts Fedens and Thomas to their car.

PAUL:

Call when you get home. And don't worry,

Thomas. Good night.

INT. PAUL’S CAR. NIGHT

Paul's at the wheel, driving. A thick mist. Barely a car on the road.

Shadows dart past faint house lights. The windscreen clouds. Paul

switches on his wipers. A Toyota truck, loaded with Militia, appears

from the mist, speeds past. Paul switches the preset buttons on the

radio as he drives. He can only find fevered drum-based MUSIC.

EXT. PAUL’S STREET. NIGHT

Paul turns onto his street. The houses are dark: windows shuttered;

gates closed; not a soul about. Paul stops before his gate. HONKS

twice. The gate doesn't open. He hops out and opens it with a key.

Gives it a push and pauses as he heads back to the car. He hears the

far off sound of gunfire. Distant explosions light the night sky.

EXT. PAUL'S HOUSE. NIGHT

Paul drives in. His compound is curiously dark. His headlights sweep

across his pitch-black house.

CUT TO:

The gates swing shut. We PULL BACK as Paul turns and faces his house.

Paul whistles for the dog, nothing. He goes back to the car, gets a

flashlight, heads for the front door.

INT. PAUL'S LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

The door slowly opens. Paul steps in quietly, tries the light switch,

nothing. He listens. The only sounds are distant explosions and

gunfire. The beam of his flashlight cuts the blackness, illuminating:

magazines arranged on a coffee table; an empty chair; children's toys

in a basket.

INT. PAUL'S KITCHEN. NIGHT

Paul continues his search. Scans the counter. There's food on the

stove. The table is set. He hears a GROWL, quickly cut short, from one

of the bedrooms.

INT. PAUL'S HALL. NIGHT

Paul shines the light into a room. Looks for a second, then closes the

door, and walks to the next. He stops and listens with his ear to the

door. Nothing. He pushes it in.

INT. PAUL'S BEDROOM. NIGHT

Paul's light sweeps across the room and illuminates:

Eyes - terrified eyes, a room full of faces, staring back.

THEIR POV:
A dark figure behind a blinding light.

The dog breaks free, runs to Paul.

PAUL:

Pealiss!

From among the faces, Tatiana's voice heavy with relief.

TATIANA:

Paul!

Paul's eyes adjust, he recognizes many of his neighbors, all crowded

into this small room. Then he sees their friends Odette and her husband

Jean Baptiste.

PAUL:

Jean Baptiste!

JEAN BAPTISTE:

Our house has been burned.

PAUL:

What is going on?

TATIANA:

The president has been murdered.

PAUL:

Murdered! By whom?

ODETTE:

The radio says Tutsi rebels.

PAUL:

Nonsense. Why would the rebels kill the

president when he agreed to peace?

Tatiana pulls Paul aside.

TATIANA:

Where are Thomas and Fedens?

PAUL:

I sent them home. Go and call them.

TATIANA:

I tried already. The phones do not work.

Jean Baptiste turns on his tiny radio.

RADIO ANNOUNCER:

Our great president is murdered, by the

Tutsi cockroaches. They tricked him, then

they killed him. We must cleanse this

country, Good Hutus of Rwanda. We must

clear the brush. Clear the brush of all

cockroaches. Clear the brush!!!

The words are cut short as a grenade blast rattles the window. Everyone

jumps, children whimper. Paul is shocked but tries to pull things

together.

PAUL:

Come on, everyone out of this room, find

a seat in the living room.

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