Shooting Dogs shows the Rwandan Civil War through the eyes of a young English volunteer teacher in the École Technique Officielle in Kigali, Rwanda, in 1994, during the Rwandan genocide.
In the United States, Shooting Dogs was released as Beyond the Gates. The film was directed by Michael Caton-Jones jointly with BBC Films, starring John Hurt, Hugh Dancy.
The title of the film is about a ridiculous situation where the UN is not allowed to shoot even to end the genocide (the order “Watch the world”), but had to shoot stray dogs eating the corpses of people to “avoid sanitary problems.”
Shooting Dogs (Beyond The Gates) 2005.
I have always believed that the main task of cinema is not only to entertain the viewer from the gray working days but also to raise quite relevant and essential topics on the screen. This film, directed by Michael Caton-Jones, coped with its task more than worthily.
Shooting Dogs is a reenactment of the shocking events of 1994 that unfolded across the African continent. For a long 100 days, Rwanda plunged into the abyss of a bloody massacre between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. The concept of “genocide” was embodied in the total extermination of the former by the latter. The result was about a million brutally murdered people (including children) and over a quarter of a million women raped.
The mind refuses to believe that this was possible some 27 years ago.
Short Shooting Dogs summary. After the coup in Rwanda, one ethnic group is annihilating another. Calmly, methodically, even with pleasure. A small detachment of peacekeepers prefers not to interfere and then quits, leaving two thousand people for slaughter. The tutsi who survived at the time participated in making the film and starred as extras.
I think that the film greatly benefited from the genius John Hurt in the title role of the priest and the head of the school. Hurt, a long-recognized veteran of cinema, has shown the most robust acting game on the screen. So natural, solid, and penetrating that sometimes even any words pulled out of his mouth were simply superfluous. Of course, Hugh Dancy also showed an excellent performance and revealed himself as a dramatic actor.
My thoughts.
Look at the map. Rwanda is a tiny state in the heart of Africa. Unfortunately, the Rwandan events for the whole world are just a local conflict that happened with blacks far away. To me, the BBC reporter symbolizes the reaction of the rest of the world to this tragedy. So, she said: ‘When I saw white women killed in Kosovo, I imagined that it was my mother who had been killed, and tears flowed from my eyes. I do not cry in Rwanda because the murdered Ruankas are just dead black women. ‘
There is one very controversial character in the film; this is a UN peacekeeping officer. He is a soldier and obeys the orders of the commanders. Also, the peacekeepers were the only barrier behind which hundreds of people were safe, and then they got an order to leave. The film did not convey his mental anguish over the fact that he condemns many people to a painful death. Perhaps this suffering did not exist. Sometimes I think if there really was such a person, then it is very interesting how he sleeps at night?
When a priest decides to stay and die with black brothers and sisters, he expresses his love for them. He finished his mission on a major note.
In the final, the heroine, who went through the meat grinder, said: “We have been given time. And we must heed this advice.
Conclusion.
This film was the first for me, after which I began to value my life more. The main character’s phrase that we have been given time has supported me in difficult situations for almost seven years. All my problems recede into the background.
Why would such a film be needed for most people far from making political decisions? It is needed to be known. Remember that even now, there are events that deserve the whole world’s attention. Understand that there are places on the planet devoid of all justice, places where methods of conflict resolution are far from those to which they are accustomed.
It is not an entertainment film. It is not for the viewer to feel good and pleasant. I believe it is a catharsis film. It makes you think and teaches you to empathize. People should know about those sufferings, if only for the sake of them never happening again.
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