根據報導文學作者Philip Gourevitch在We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families 一書中引用一位神父的研究表示,盧安達由於地處內陸,絕少與外界溝通,人們超乎異常地團結。國王代表國家、天神,具有神聖不可侵犯的地位,我想應是類似中國古代天子的優勢。盧安達人相信他們國度是世界的中心,天神白天也許到其他地方出巡,晚上肯定要回盧安達睡覺。國度內使用同一種語言,通行同一種法律,信仰同一種宗教,這種一致性在非洲非常少見。記者Gourevitch認為,或許就是因為這樣驚人的團結,讓殖民政府決心延續德國在盧安達的種族分化政策,由內瓦解盧安達的國家認同以方便控制。
this comments the documentary -- not the movie based on the same book (and shot on the real locations).
this documents Dallaire's trip back to Rwanda on the 10th year anniversary. a trip back to where the nightmare took place, which once made him suicidal, turned out to give him solace instead.
what struck me was his very blunt speech at the National University of Rwanda:
The world is ruled by a belief that will permit other genocides. The superpowers had no interest in you. They were interested only in Yugoslavia. The guiding principle was that in Rwanda it's tribalism, it's history repeating itself. In Yugoslavia, it's different. It's 400 years of historic conflict between great religions of the world. It's ethnic cleansing. It's European security. It's whites. Rwanda is black. It's in the middle of Africa. It has no strategic value. And all that's there, they told me are people, and there are too many anyway.
The audience was appalled...
and in contrast, a Belgian senator questioned Dallaire's role in the death of 10 belgian soldiers.
But it is nice, after all, to see people still have resilience here in Rwanda to build a better and more peaceful future. In Dallaire's eyes, Rwanda is still a paradise as he first came, almost destroyed, but not destroyed due to people's resilience.
i guess i actually like this documentary better than the film based on this book, which reenacted what happened and Hotel Rwanda which told the same story but from the perspective of the hotel manager.