Greetings everyone,
There is so much to share about films (such as Shooting Dogs and the life of Fr. Schultz) and other materials you regard as relevant that a student suggested we have this place where you can share your thoughts and resources together.
Thank you!
I haven't seen Shooting Dogs. I'm planning to see it soon. After watching the trailer and hearing from my classmates who saw the movie, I had a few questions. From the trailer, it seemed that the story was told from a white (mostly male?) perspective. Is this because it focuses on the international communities' response to the tragedy in Rwanda? Or, were there an equal number of Rwandans of color represented as main characters in the story? If not, I wonder why the white narrative was used. Does it further dehumanize and otherize Rwandans if media focuses on the tragedy through the eyes of white men (or white people in general)? Does a white narrative in a media portrayal of a tragedy such as this affect how we understand and respond to these international tragedies? I'm obliged to say yes, but I'd like to hear from those who have seen the movie.
ReplyDeleteGrace, your questions are extremely thought provoking. As I watched the movie I couldn't help but wonder if even less would have been done if there weren't white tourists in the country at the time. I think it's so unfortunate to wonder that. I also wondered how it was for the survivors to be cast in the movie. Did they think their story was told correctly? Were they told and did they understand the perspective the movie would be portrayed in? What about re-traumitization just from being in the movie?
ReplyDeleteTo answer some of your questions, from what I got from the movie, yes it was focused on the international response, or should I say it focuses on their minimal or lack of response. I think the movie does a good job of conveying the ambivalence of the white cultures and the overt favoritism of the white tourists over the Rwandans. And yes, I think a white narrative DOES affect how we understand and respond to international tragedies such as this. This is the most unfortunate thing I think.