Hotel Rwanda Page #9

SOLDIERS:

Out, get out now!

Paul pulls himself together, marches over to the soldier.

PAUL:

Who is in charge?

A Captain is at the door.

CAPTAIN:

Who are you?

PAUL:

I am Paul Rusesabagina, a good friend of

General Bizimungu.

CAPTAIN:

We are looking for you.

He takes Paul by the arm, leads him outside.

EXT. PAUL'S HOUSE. DAWN

The Captain stops by his jeep, studies his clipboard.

Tatiana with Roger in her arms, her kids and all the neighbors herded

together.

PAUL:

What is this about?

CAPTAIN:

Let me see your identity card.

Paul pulls it from his pocket, hands it to the Captain.

CLOSE ON:
Paul's ID - it reads Ethnicity: HUTU.

The Captain studies him, waves for the soldiers to back off.

CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

You heard the Tutsi cockroaches murdered

our president.

PAUL:

Yes, it is a calamity for us all.

CAPTAIN:

You work at the Hotel Diplomat?

PAUL:

No. I work at the Mille Collines.

The Captain looks confused. Paul quickly:

PAUL (CONT'D)

I used to work at the Diplomat.

CAPTAIN:

Do you know how to open the safe there?

(Paul nods)

Our government needs to use the hotel and

the room keys are in the safe. You must

open it.

PAUL:

Of course.

Paul sees out into the street behind the jeeps: a group of Militia in

their colored shirts armed with machetes, have gathered, trying to see

what is going on.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Captain, I must take my family.

It is not safe here.

CAPTAIN:

Where is your family?

Tatiana is beside him now.

TATIANA:

(interrupts)

This is them.

Tatiana points to the huddled neighbors. Paul is stunned.

CAPTAIN:

All of them! I cannot take them.

TATIANA:

No, no, good Captain, you do not have to.

We have the car and our van.

She points to the Mille Collines van.

The Captain looks doubtful, then his two-way radio barks - an urgent

message. He listens.

Tatiana drags the kids and ushers everyone toward the van. In a second,

they are all clambering in.

CAPTAIN:

Let's go.

Paul jumps behind the wheel of the van. Neighbors are jammed in like

sardines, 15, more, inside. Tatiana and their kids are squashed

together on the front bench.

The convoy (jeep - van, car - jeep) starts up and turns out into the

street.

The Militia men wave sticks, machetes.

INT. VAN TRAVELING - DAY

Paul looks back as they speed off down the street.

Sees:
The Militia looters pour into his gateway.

As they pass the Caringa home, Militia looters carry off a TV and push

a stove on a child's skateboard.

Tatiana has Roger on her lap, she cradles his head.

EXT. KIGALI STREET. DAY

The convoy speeds through the deserted streets. Slowing only to

maneuver through makeshift roadblocks where Militia wave machetes,

nailed clubs and spears as they dance.

FURTHER ALONG THE ROAD: a group of Militia swarm over a car, smashing

the windshield, the windows. Inside a family huddles together in

terror, waiting for the windows to give way.

In the gutter by the side of the road, three dead bodies.

PAUL:

(to Tatiana)

Don't look.

EXT. HOTEL DIPLOMAT. DAY

The convoy pulls up at this older, shabbier hotel. There are other

jeeps, and several staff in a panic. The janitor, ROBERT, sees Paul,

bursts into waves of joy.

ROBERT:

Mr. Paul, sir. Oh, Mr. Paul. We must open

every door right now for the government.

Paul jumps out of the van, hurries to the lead jeep.

PAUL:

(to the Captain)

The safe is in the manager's office.

The Captain nods to two soldiers.

CAPTAIN:

Go with him, get the keys.

INT. HOTEL DIPLOMAT LOBBY. DAY

Paul runs through the lobby. The staff look petrified.

INT. HOTEL DIPLOMAT MANAGER'S OFFICE. DAY

Paul bursts into the room. The two soldiers follow.

He goes to the hotel's big old combination safe, spins the combination

a few times, tries the handle, clunk! It doesn't open. He's forgotten

the number.

The soldiers look at him impatiently. Paul improvises.

PAUL:

Gentlemen, you'll find some chocolate,

and maybe a few beers in the fridge.

Don't let them go to waste.

The soldiers fall over each other to get to the fridge.

Paul tries the safe numbers again, clunk! It opens.

He sees:
a big bunch of keys, a wad of dollars, Rwandan francs, a check

book, and several bottles of the best cognac, whiskey, some Cristal.

He looks round nervously but the two soldiers are busy fighting over

the beer and chocolates in the fridge.

As they do, Paul, hands trembling, stuffs the wads of notes, into his

belt, pulls his shirt over and shuts the safe door.

PAUL (CONT'D)

I've got them.

He is about to leave.

SOLDIER 1

Wait!

Paul looks back at the soldier.

SOLDIER 1 (CONT'D)

Sit down.

Paul sits, as the two soldiers guzzle beers and stuff chocolate into

their pockets.

INT. HOTEL DIPLOMAT LOBBY. DAY

Paul hurries through the lobby toward the entrance.

EXT. HOTEL DIPLOMAT ENTRANCE. DAY

Paul emerges to see:

All of the occupants of the van, Tatiana, his kids, Odette on their

knees, with their hands on their heads.

The Captain hovers over them, pistol in hand, turns, sees Paul. He

marches toward him and SLAPS HIM HARD on the face.

CAPTAIN:

Traitor!

Paul reels from the blow, but manages to stay on his feet.

The Captain snatches a bunch of ID cards from a soldier, hurls the

cards in Paul's face.

CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

They are all Tutsi cockroaches.

PAUL:

Let me explain.

He grabs Paul by the scruff of the neck, pushes him toward the kneeling

captives. The Captain snatches a pistol from one of his soldiers,

shoves it into Paul's hand.

CAPTAIN:

SHOOT THEM!

Paul looks at him.

PAUL:

Please, I don't use guns.

CAPTAIN:

There is nothing to it.

The Captain raises his own pistol and FIRES it. Everyone jumps with

fright.

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