Factual error: The movie is set in Rwanda in 1994. At the start of the movie you see a billboard advert for MTN, a South African cellular service provider that was not available in Rwanda in 1994.
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Directed by: Terry George
Starring: Don Cheadle, Joaquin Phoenix, Sophie Okonedo, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Desmond Dube, Xolani Mali
Continuity mistake: When Paul is talking to George after giving him the Cohiba cigar, at one point, he puts his hand to his face as the camera is facing him. When the shot cuts to George, Paul's hand is down, then immediately back up to his face when the shot cuts back to him.
Continuity mistake: In the scene towards the end of the movie, when the UN convoy arrives at the UN refugee camp, it is not raining. The next shot, in a close up of Paul assisting people off, it is raining. Then in the next shot it is back to not raining.
Trivia: In one scene Paul is listening to the radio and a broadcast of the debate about whether what was happening in Rwanda was considered genocide. During the conflict there was a news conference that was very similar to the one on the radio. One of the reasons that the US and UN would not label (or appear to label) the situation as genocide was that under legal obligations they would have had to act to prevent and punish the perpetrators if they said what was happening in Rwanda was genocide.
Trivia: The character of Col. Oliver (Nick Nolte) is partly based on that of Canadian Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire who led the UN peacekeeping efforts in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. Some have criticised the makers of the film for portraying Dallaire as incompetent and unable to help in almost any way. Dallaire in the conflict despite having a shortage of soldiers, helped set up "safe zones" for Tutsis to escape from the Hutu militia. Dallaire's action have said to have saved around 20,000 from certain death.
Paul Rusesabagina: There will be no rescue, no intervention for us. We can only save ourselves. Many of you know influential people abroad, you must call these people. You must tell them what will happen to us... say goodbye. When you say goodbye, say it as if you are reaching through the phone and holding their hand. Let them know that if they let go of that hand, you will die. We must shame them into sending help.
Paul Rusesabagina: All day long I work to please this officer, that diplomat, some tourist to store up favors so if there is a time when we need help I have powerful people I can call upon.
Tatiana Rusesabagina: But Victor was a good neighbor.
Paul Rusesabagina: He is not family. Family is all that matters.
General Bizimungu: I commanded no massacres.
Question: Who was supplying the Hutu army?
Question: I believe they mentioned it in the movie, but I missed it. How was it decided who is Tutsi and who is Hutu?
Answer: Generally there were two methods, one they had identification badges that mentioned whether they were Tutsi or Hutu. This is evident when Don Cheadle goes to buy supplies and they want to see some ID. The other was simply that people knew each other. Some people would say who was Tutsi and who was Hutu.
Answer: The ID indicated ethnicity.
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Answer: French.