Shooting Dogs is a low budget film taking a look at the Rwandan genocide. Devoid of all the special effects which are the lifeblood of anything considered worthwhile, Shooting Dogs is free of distraction - beside the ugly truth - and tends to make one think. Just as it did with the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 (no oil, diamonds or gold to sweeten the deal) the world, in large part, ignored doomed Rwandans. The Hungarians, in what has been described as the most noble revolution in history, continued to throw stones at Russian tanks while waiting for the Americans to come. To the bitter end, they believed the Americans would come. The U.S. made up for not coming by keeping the American Embassy open, thus providing shelter for the late and great Cardinal Mindszenty who had spent over two decades in prison at the hands of the Nazis and the Communists.
The innocent Rwandans depended on the politics of an obscenity known as the United Nations. All in vain. They were betrayed. Canada's General Romeo Dallaire headed a groups of soldiers which would have marched into Hell for him. All he needed was permission to take out the radio network. Permission was not forthcoming and the General will remain an emotional casualty forever.
No small wonder. Shooting Dogs captures the bloody holocaust in spades - for those of us who can survive a film robbed of the bedroom romp, dogfights between planes travelling at a faster than sound speed and car chases - especially when we can pluck up the courage to note that what we see is what the Rwandans got.
See the film and ask if it's ever right to turn our backs on people who are in mortal danger.
The innocent Rwandans depended on the politics of an obscenity known as the United Nations. All in vain. They were betrayed. Canada's General Romeo Dallaire headed a groups of soldiers which would have marched into Hell for him. All he needed was permission to take out the radio network. Permission was not forthcoming and the General will remain an emotional casualty forever.
No small wonder. Shooting Dogs captures the bloody holocaust in spades - for those of us who can survive a film robbed of the bedroom romp, dogfights between planes travelling at a faster than sound speed and car chases - especially when we can pluck up the courage to note that what we see is what the Rwandans got.
See the film and ask if it's ever right to turn our backs on people who are in mortal danger.
