17. The Story Of The Little Tsutsi Girl - Hotel Rwanda
Big surprise, a film about the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, where 800,000 people were killed over the span of three months, is incredibly sad. It's probably one of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences in recent years, and there are more chilling and tearjerking scenes than we can count. But perhaps the worst is when the American aid worker is remembering her interactions with a young Tutsi girl about to be massacred by the Hutu machete army. The girl pleaded with the woman, saying, "Please don't let them kill me, I promise I won't be Tutsi anymore!" There is no flashback to this moment, and we never actually see the girl on screen. We don't need to. Hearing this grief-stricken woman relate her experience of watching all those little children hacked to pieces was enough, more than enough. The exchange highlights the utter pointlessness of the genocide, and the conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis in general. But are you ready for the saddest part, the cherry on top of the sundae of Awful? That anecdote was a true story - an actual aid worker reported overhearing a little girl say that while she was in Rwanda during the crisis.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
