Shooting Dogs
Encyclopedia
Shooting Dogs, released in the United States
as Beyond the Gates, is a 2005 film, directed by Michael Caton-Jones
and starring John Hurt
, Hugh Dancy
and Claire-Hope Ashitey
. It is based on the experiences of BBC news producer David Belton
, who worked in Rwanda during the Rwandan Genocide
. Belton is the film's co-writer and one of its producers.
The setting of the film is the École Technique Officielle
(ETO) in Kigali
, Rwanda
, in 1994, during the Rwandan Genocide
. Hurt plays a Catholic priest (loosely based on Vjekoslav Ćurić
) and Dancy an English teacher, both Europeans, who are caught up in the events of the genocide.
Unlike Hotel Rwanda
, which was filmed in South Africa using South African actors, the film was shot in the original location of the scenes it portrays. Also, many survivors of the massacre were employed as part of the production crew and minor acting roles.
The film's title refers to the actions of UN soldiers in shooting at the stray dogs that scavenged
the bodies of dead. Since the UN soldiers were not allowed to shoot at the Hutu extremists that had caused the deaths in the first place, the shooting of dogs is symbolic of the madness of the situation that the film attempts to capture.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Beyond the Gates, is a 2005 film, directed by Michael Caton-Jones
Michael Caton-Jones
Michael Caton-Jones is the director of such films as Scandal, Rob Roy, Memphis Belle and The Jackal...
and starring John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
, Hugh Dancy
Hugh Dancy
- Early life and career :Dancy was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of British philosopher Jonathan Dancy, a professor at the University of Reading and at the University of Texas at Austin. His mother, Sarah, is a publisher. His brother, Jack, is a co-director of the travel company, Trufflepig...
and Claire-Hope Ashitey
Claire-Hope Ashitey
Clare-Hope Naa K. Ashitey is a British actress of Ghanaian descent. She attended the Centre Stage School of Performing Arts, Southgate...
. It is based on the experiences of BBC news producer David Belton
David Belton
David Belton is a director, writer, and film producer. His experiences as a BBC reporter covering the 1994 Rwandan Genocide led him to write the original story and produce the film Shooting Dogs, directed by Michael Caton-Jones, which dramatizes the events at the Ecole Technique Officielle. It was...
, who worked in Rwanda during the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. Belton is the film's co-writer and one of its producers.
The setting of the film is the École Technique Officielle
Ecole Technique Officielle
The École Technique Officielle was a Salesian secondary school in Kigali, Rwanda. On April 11, 1994, during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, over 2,500 Rwandans abandoned by the UN, in the school in which they set up base to supervise the peace between the Hutu and Tutsi, were murdered by extremist...
(ETO) in Kigali
Kigali
Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, in 1994, during the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. Hurt plays a Catholic priest (loosely based on Vjekoslav Ćurić
Vjekoslav Curic
Vjekoslav "Vjeko" Ćurić was a Bosnian Croat priest and humanitarian. He is one of the recognized martyrs of Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena...
) and Dancy an English teacher, both Europeans, who are caught up in the events of the genocide.
Unlike Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 American drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay written by both George and Keir Pearson. Based on real life events which took place in Rwanda during the spring of 1994, the film stars Don Cheadle as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina, who attempts to...
, which was filmed in South Africa using South African actors, the film was shot in the original location of the scenes it portrays. Also, many survivors of the massacre were employed as part of the production crew and minor acting roles.
The film's title refers to the actions of UN soldiers in shooting at the stray dogs that scavenged
Scavenger
Scavenging is both a carnivorous and herbivorous feeding behavior in which individual scavengers search out dead animal and dead plant biomass on which to feed. The eating of carrion from the same species is referred to as cannibalism. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by...
the bodies of dead. Since the UN soldiers were not allowed to shoot at the Hutu extremists that had caused the deaths in the first place, the shooting of dogs is symbolic of the madness of the situation that the film attempts to capture.
Cast (credited)
- John HurtJohn HurtJohn Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
as Father Christopher - Hugh DancyHugh Dancy- Early life and career :Dancy was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of British philosopher Jonathan Dancy, a professor at the University of Reading and at the University of Texas at Austin. His mother, Sarah, is a publisher. His brother, Jack, is a co-director of the travel company, Trufflepig...
as Joe Connor - Dominique HorwitzDominique HorwitzDominique Horwitz is a German film and television actor and singer.-Life:Dominique Horwitz grew up in Paris where his parents ran a delicatessen shop. In 1971 the family moved to Berlin. He attended a Franco-German grammar-school. He has a sister and a brother. About twenty years Horwitz was...
as Capitaine Charles Delon - Louis MahoneyLouis MahoneyLouis Mahoney is a Gambian-born British actor.He has been seen most frequently on television in series such as: Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars, The Troubleshooters, Menace, Special Branch, Doctor Who , Quiller, Fawlty Towers Louis Mahoney (born 8 September 1938) is a Gambian-born British...
as Sibomana - Nicola WalkerNicola WalkerNicola Walker is an English actress, best known for her starring roles in various British television programmes from the 1990s onwards, particularly as Ruth Evershed in the spy drama Spooks. She has also worked in theatre, radio and film....
as Rachel - Steve Toussaint as Roland
- David Gyasi as François
- Susan Nalwoga as Edda
- Victor Power as Julius
- Jack Pierce as Mark
- Musa Kasonka Jr. as Boniface
- Kizito Ssentamu Kayiira as Pierre
- Clare-Hope Ashitey as Marie
Crew
- Director – Michael Caton-JonesMichael Caton-JonesMichael Caton-Jones is the director of such films as Scandal, Rob Roy, Memphis Belle and The Jackal...
- Writers – David WolstencroftDavid WolstencroftDavid Wolstencroft is a Scottish television writer and author. He is best known as creator of the BAFTA award-winning TV spy drama Spooks and its spin-off series, Spooks: Code 9. Wolstencroft was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1969 and grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, later going on to read history at...
(screenplay) . Richard Alwyn (story) . David BeltonDavid BeltonDavid Belton is a director, writer, and film producer. His experiences as a BBC reporter covering the 1994 Rwandan Genocide led him to write the original story and produce the film Shooting Dogs, directed by Michael Caton-Jones, which dramatizes the events at the Ecole Technique Officielle. It was...
(story) - Original Music – Dario MarianelliDario MarianelliDario Marianelli is a composer of piano, orchestral, and film music. He has composed the soundtracks for The Brothers Grimm , Pride & Prejudice , and Atonement , the last two for which he received Oscar nominations for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score...
- Cinematography – Ivan Strasburg
- Editing – Christian Lonk
- Casting – Anja Dihrberg . Karen Lindsay-Stewart
- Production Design – Bertram Strauß
- Art Direction – Astrid Sieben
- Set Decoration – Dagmar Wessel
- Costume Design – Dinah Collin
External links
- Does Shooting Dogs Lie?
- Acts of Genocide: Abrahamsson, Christian; Environment and Planning D 2008 26(4):736-639
Introduction to a series of academic articles discussing the film