Greenlight for Shake Hands with the Devil

People like to sit and watch. One of the many reasons why the Rwandan Genocide – a slaughter of an estimated 1 million of Tutsis and carried out by two extremist Hutu militia groups, during the summer of 1994 occured. A new project hopes that people do just that – to sit and watch but also think. One can still sense the rage, the helplessness and the what very little optimism still exists in Lt. Lieutenant General Roméo A. Dallaire – a man who made headlines by heavily criticizing the role that the government plays in international conflicts where not thousands, but millions of lives are at stake. Dallaire sleeps better at night by taking drugs to numb that hell hole he encountered more than a decade ago and perhaps Shake Hands with the Devil will be a manner in which he can somehow accomplish the mission he was given.

On hand at a press conference in Montreal about the forthcoming film project to be shot this summer on location in Rwanda and which is based on his book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, one of Canada’s most prolific figures, Dallaire was joined by producers Laszlo Barna and Michael Donovan, director Roger Spottiswoode and actor Roy Dupuis – who will portray the General.

To be filmed in both the English and French languages, the film version will try and capture the courageous and humanitarian actions of the Lieutenant – a man who saved the lives of thousands of Rwandans in 1994 with a United Nations (UN) mission – and as Dallaire hopes this project will “keep the genocide alive” as to make sure that people question rather than forget what happened and what continues to happen in this day and age.

The last thing you want when making a film about genocide is to take your project to Hollywood. Making a “human” film in big studio conditions means certain concessions must be meet – a lead hero, explosions and a romanticized vision of the events. For those expecting a film comparable to Hotel Rwanda or the recent A Sunday in Kigali might be disappointed, for this will surely ruffle some feathers – world audiences can expect a big helping of a “truthful” depiction of Rwanda 94’.

Budgeted at ten million dollars, the feature film funded by a grouping of Canadian partnerships was put in place by producers Laszlo Barna and Michael Donovan – the latter of the two last worked on Bowling for Columbine making it obvious that these people aren’t in it necessarily for the money – although a little cliché, he stated that “a story which when told properly will have impact around the world – particularly in the hands of director Roger Spottiswoode and the great Roy Dupuis”.

Dupuis (internationally known for his role in the television series Nikita), is a solid candidate especially for those who have the chance to see the Quebecois thesp add to a filmography of rich characters – he is perhaps the best actor ever of French-Canadian origins to grace the silver screen. His talent and emotional on-screen demeanor is perhaps the key element to bringing out the internal rage against governments turning a blind eye on a humanitarian mess – and while he seems like the right man to do the job, there is another man who might not be the ideal choice for the job.

Director Roger Spottiswoode

Roger Spottiswoode’s claim to fame is a Brosnan Bond film (Tomorrow Never Dies) and the god-awful Arnie flick The 6th Day. Most recently he directed Mr. Ripley’s Return for Fox Searchlight – and there are question marks as to if this film will ever be released. Having only been on the project for 3 months, Spottiswoode gave the impression that it is business as usual having, meanwhile Dupuis seemed overwhelmed by the daunting task ahead, even as to one point being unsure if he wanted to take on such an iconic role. Thankfully he will take on this “mission”.

Filming takes place between June and August on location in Rwanda, and Seville Pictures will distribute the film in Canada in 2007.