Product Description

In 1994, word began to spread around the globe of an incomprehensible tragedy unfolding in the small African nation of Rwanda. In a period of just 100 days, the country's Hutu extremists had executed more than 800,000 Tutsis with ruthless efficiency. Genocide had once again blighted the world. Shake Hands With The Devil recounts this unconscionable series of events through the eyes Canadian Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire, the man tasked by the United Nations Security Council with maintaining peace in the beautiful, yet volatile, nation. Valiantly leading ill-equipped, untrained troops who did not want to be there and desperately pleading each worsening day with the UN for reinforcements and revised rules of engagement, Dallaire was rendered powerless by his superiors in New York. The inevitable failure of the peacekeeping mission haunts him to this day. The mental anguish of reliving of the horrors he witnessed more than once drove him to attempt to end his own life. Following Dallaire's emotional journey, 10 years later, back to Rwanda, the film is an resolute and gut-wrenching indictment of a UN administration that had the opportunity to stop the killing, yet let it play out with devastating consequences. Dallaire's story must be told and its lessons must be learned.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4485 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-03
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: PAL, Anamorphic
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Synopsis
The decision by the United Nations to maintain only a minimal military presence in Rwanda in 1994 proved fatal for the native Tutsi people. As the UN floundered, some 800,000 Tutsis perished at the hands of powerful Hutu guerillas, who wreaked havoc on the country. A cinematic take on these calamitous events was provided by 2004's HOTEL RWANDA, which dramatized the story of a secret Tutsi refuge camp constructed by brave hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina. A much darker side to the tale unfolds in SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL, with filmmaker Peter Raymont constructing a fascinating documentary about Roméo Dallaire, the UN general in charge of the nominal UN military effort in Rwanda. Although drawing on footage from 1994, which depicts some horrific scenes of bloodshed, the most significant portion of Raymont's film sees Dallaire returning to Rwanda some 10 years after the atrocities occurred. Once there, he is given an unforgettable tour of the country, and explains how he tried, and failed, to coax the UN into providing him with enough soldiers to prevent the genocide which followed. A crestfallen man who appears to have a genuine love for Rwanda, Raymont closely follows Dallaire's memoir (entitled SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL: THE FAILURE OF HUMANITY IN RWANDA), leading to a highly sympathetic depiction of a once-great military man. Dallaire confesses that his post-Rwandan life has been littered with suicidal thoughts and generous doses of anti-depressants--clearly he still believes he could have prevented this terrible event from happening. Raymont's film is a compassionate, eye-opening summation of a life forever tainted by a hugely regrettable experience.

Customer Reviews

Shake hands with the Devil
I first saw this documentary on either Channel 4 or BBC4; which had an impact on me that urged me to read the book.
I found the book as emotive as the film and at times haunting.

I am very suprised that it has taken approximately 3 years for it to be released on DVD in the UK
I would urge anyone that has even a brief interest in Rwanda and the horrors of 1994 to go out and buy this as well as the book.

Romeo Dallaire, was one brave dude that had he's hands tied by the very people that he was working for; He consistently reported back on a daily basis, the documented horrors and reccomendations for action...That was ignored.

A truly moving piece of work, often violent, however always highlighting ignorance, procrastination and constant bureaucracy which ultimately led to the deaths of 800,000 Rwandans.

amazing
i saw this movie in the Cork film festival 3 years ago and it had a huge effect on me. i cant believe that it had taken this long to come to dvd. it is a stunning work which should make you re-evaluate your opinions on Rwanda and the way that African nations in general are treated. it is a good background film for 'hotel rwanda'. amazing is the only word that does it justice.

Should be seen by all
As Dallaire says, "I know there is a God because I shook hands with the devil in Rwanda".
This film compliments Dallaire's book of the same title. It shows how the myopic and imbecilic action of a genocidal government to the indifference of the world resulted in hell on earth.

The film takes Dallaire on a poignant journey back to Rwanda, and draws the viewer on a reminiscence of the hell in which he was abandoned by the UN and major Western countries.
This is the story of the threshold of human endurance in the face of unimaginable horror, and the courage of a few good men. A story that should be heard by all.