The African continent has continuously been embroiled in civil, tribal and transnational conflicts from colonial independence to the present day. What historians consider the “most efficient genocide” in history occurred in just 100 days in the small central African country of Rwanda. The Hutu and Tutsi, two ethnic groups in Rwanda, have been in constant tension for half a century. During the 100 Day Massacre of 1994, a murder occurred every two seconds; resulting in the killing of 18% of the Tutsi population. A decade after the war, in 2004, the film Hotel Rwanda was released in theaters. The film followed the story of a Hutu man; Paul Rusesabagina while hosting over 1200 Tutsi refugees in his hotel. The Hotel De Milles Collines, a five-star resort in the capital Kigali, was a safe haven for several hundred Tutsis during the 100-day massacre in Rwanda. The purpose of this article will be to focus on the differences between the film Hotel Rwanda and the reality of the Rwandan genocide. I will try to determine how accurately the film draws inspiration from history and how much of the film is fiction. For this essay I will first examine the history of Hutu-Tutsi relations dating back to the 1950s, in order to grasp the context of the country. Then I will describe the events leading up to the 100 Day Massacre and look at how they were depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda. I will then examine the accuracy with which Paul Rusesabagina and his efforts were shown in the film, as well as the efforts of the United Nations. This essay aims to have a comprehensive summary of the infamous tragedy and critically highlight how Hollywood can alter history. Rwanda is nestled between...... middle of paper......ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=11&sid=f5d57578-23a1-4dd9-bc4c-295bd3cebc3a%40sessionmgr4&bdata= JmxvZ2lucGFnZT1Mb2dpbi5hc3Amc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1sa “The true hero of Rwanda”. US Catholic (February 2006). 71-2. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=11&sid=78e94ed4-e51d-4773-aba0-3ce0c64bad34%40sessionmgr10Strauss, Scott. The Genocide Order: Race, Power, and War in Rwanda. (Cornell University Press Ithaca and London). 2006.Rusesabagina, Paolo. An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography. (A speech given to the Los Angeles Council on World Affairs) March 12, 2007. Retrieved from: http://www.lawac.org/speech/2006-07/RUSESABAGINA,%20Paul%202007.pdf Taylor, Christopher. Sacrifice as Terror: The 1994 Rwandan Genocide. (Oxford New York) 1999.