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Shake Hands with the Devil (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
Shake Hands with the Devil is a Canadian
drama feature film starring Roy Dupuis
as Roméo Dallaire
, which premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival in August 2007. Based on Dallaire's autobiographical book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
, the film recounts Dallaire's harrowing personal journey during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
and how the United Nations
failed to heed Dallaire's urgent pleas for further assistance to halt the massacre.
The film received 12 nominations at the 28th Genie Awards
and tied with the film Eastern Promises for most nominations.
A co-production of Barna-Alper Productions
, of Toronto
, and Halifax Film Company, of Nova Scotia
, the movie was directed by Roger Spottiswoode
(Tomorrow Never Dies
, And the Band Played On
) and filmed in part on location in Kigali
, Rwanda
, from mid-June to early August 2006 before returning to Halifax
for its "final shoot."
A press conference concerning the film, with Dallaire, Dupuis, Spottiswoode, the producers Laszlo Barna (Barna-Alper) and Michael Donovan (Halifax), as well as Wayne Clarkson of Telefilm Canada
, occurred in Montréal
on June 2, 2006.
In a special account of the filming published in the Toronto Star
on 22 July 2006, David Thompson observes that the actor Roy Dupuis "looks eerily like Dallaire, sporting a carefully groomed moustache, summer tan uniform and authentic blue beret":
In "New Rwanda Genocide Movie Criticizes U.N. Role," first posted on Reuters
on August 9, 2006, Arthur Asiimwe quotes from his interview in Kigali
with the film's director Roger Spottiswoode
:
On August 13, 2006, Halifax's The Chronicle Herald issued a call for extras, reporting "After filming several months in Kigali, Rwanda
, crews return to Halifax
to begin the final shoot. . . . It will be released in Canada [in September 2007] by Seville Pictures. Pay channels The Movie Network
, Movie Central
, and Super Écran
have signed on for broadcast rights, along with the CBC
and its French-language network Radio-Canada
." According to Marie-Chantal Fiset, in her interview with Jean-Guy Plante published on August 27, 2006, "J’ai serré la main du diable, en version française, devrait sortir en salle en octobre 2007." (The French version of the film, entitled J'ai serré la main du diable, will open in movie theaters in October 2007.)
, with "Visa" public screenings on September 9 and September 11, 2007. The film opened the 27th Atlantic Film Festival
, with the NBC Universal Canada
Opening Night Gala screening on September 13, 2007.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
drama feature film starring Roy Dupuis
Roy Dupuis
Roy Dupuis is a Canadian actor best known for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series La Femme Nikita...
as Roméo Dallaire
Roméo Dallaire
Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire, is a Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general...
, which premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival in August 2007. Based on Dallaire's autobiographical book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
Shake Hands with the Devil (book)
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda is a book by Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire of the Canadian Forces, with help from Major Brent Beardsley...
, the film recounts Dallaire's harrowing personal journey during the 1994 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...
and how the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
failed to heed Dallaire's urgent pleas for further assistance to halt the massacre.
The film received 12 nominations at the 28th Genie Awards
28th Genie Awards
The 28th Genie Awards were held on March 3, 2008 to honour films released in 2007. The ceremony was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
and tied with the film Eastern Promises for most nominations.
Film production and planned release
Barna-Alper Productions
E1 Television is a Canadian television production company, based in Toronto, Ontario.-History:E1 Television was founded in 1980 as Barna-Alper Productions Inc. The company was headed by President and Chief Executive Officer Laszlo Barna and Laura Alper, Barna's wife. E1 also distributed through...
, of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and Halifax Film Company, of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, the movie was directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Roger Spottiswoode
Roger Spottiswoode is a Canadian-born film director and writer, who began his career as an editor in the 1970s. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He has directed a number of notable films and television productions, including Under Fire and the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies starring...
(Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Bruce Feirstein wrote the screenplay, and it was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. It follows Bond as he tries to stop a media mogul from engineering...
, And the Band Played On
And the Band Played On (film)
And the Band Played On is a 1993 American television film docudrama directed by Roger Spottiswoode. The teleplay by Arnold Schulman is based on the best-selling 1987 non-fiction book And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts.The film premiered at the Montreal...
) and filmed in part on location 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...
, from mid-June to early August 2006 before returning to Halifax
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
for its "final shoot."
A press conference concerning the film, with Dallaire, Dupuis, Spottiswoode, the producers Laszlo Barna (Barna-Alper) and Michael Donovan (Halifax), as well as Wayne Clarkson of Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
, occurred in Montréal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on June 2, 2006.
In a special account of the filming published in the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
on 22 July 2006, David Thompson observes that the actor Roy Dupuis "looks eerily like Dallaire, sporting a carefully groomed moustache, summer tan uniform and authentic blue beret":
Indeed, Dupuis is even wearing Dallaire's original army nametag and decorations from 1994. Dallaire is collaborating on this project — right down to a line-by-line review of the script — and insisted on giving Dupuis the decorations to add authenticity. He also gave Dupuis something of himself. "I feel a real connection with this man. He opened up to me," Dupuis says during an interview on the set, the first time he has spoken with media since the gruelling shoot began in Rwanda a month ago. "I'm here because of him." ("One Last Dance with the Devil")
In "New Rwanda Genocide Movie Criticizes U.N. Role," first posted on Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
on August 9, 2006, Arthur Asiimwe quotes from his interview 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...
with the film's director Roger Spottiswoode
Roger Spottiswoode
Roger Spottiswoode is a Canadian-born film director and writer, who began his career as an editor in the 1970s. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He has directed a number of notable films and television productions, including Under Fire and the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies starring...
:
"Our film is about a man who was aware genocideGenocideGenocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
was coming and tried to get the U.N. to allow him to do something about it, but . . . instead it turned him down. . . . It is really about the bigger issue of what the U.N. role is in situations like these," he told Reuters at the capital's Amahoro stadium, which sheltered thousands of terrified residents in 1994 as the killers roamed the streets outside.
Spottiswoode said the film was particularly timely given the calls on the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to intervene to end the war in Lebanon, and the ongoing efforts to send a U.N. force to stop rampant murders and rapes in SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
's troubled DarfurDarfurDarfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
region. The United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has called the Darfur conflictDarfur conflictThe Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
genocide.
On August 13, 2006, Halifax's The Chronicle Herald issued a call for extras, reporting "After filming several months in Kigali, Rwanda
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...
, crews return to Halifax
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
to begin the final shoot. . . . It will be released in Canada [in September 2007] by Seville Pictures. Pay channels The Movie Network
The Movie Network
The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories...
, Movie Central
Movie Central
Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories...
, and Super Écran
Super Écran
Super Écran is a Canadian French language Category A premium television service that broadcasts nationally via satellite or cable subscribers. The network is owned by Astral Media...
have signed on for broadcast rights, along with the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
and its French-language network Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
." According to Marie-Chantal Fiset, in her interview with Jean-Guy Plante published on August 27, 2006, "J’ai serré la main du diable, en version française, devrait sortir en salle en octobre 2007." (The French version of the film, entitled J'ai serré la main du diable, will open in movie theaters in October 2007.)
Cast
- Roy DupuisRoy DupuisRoy Dupuis is a Canadian actor best known for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series La Femme Nikita...
as General Romeo Dallaire - Owen Sejake as Ghanaian General Henry Anyidoho
- James Gallanders as Major Brent Beardsley
- Michel MongeauMichel MongeauMichel Mongeau was a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played 54 games in the National Hockey League: 50 with the St. Louis Blues and four with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He died May 22, 2010.-External links:...
as Luc Marchal - Robert Lalonde as Général Maurice Baril
- John Sibi-Okumu as Booh-Booh
- Akin Omotoso as Paul Kagame
- Tom McCamusTom McCamusTom McCamus is an award-winning Canadian film and theatre actor who is most widely known for his work on the science-fiction television show Mutant X....
as Phil Lancaster - John MatshikizaJohn MatshikizaJohn Matshikiza was a South African actor, theatre director, poet and journalist.John Matshikiza was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to Todd Matshikiza and Esme Matshikiza. Todd was a renowned jazz pianist, composer and journalist. Due to apartheid, the Matshikiza family went into exile in...
as President Habyarimana - Jean-Hugues AngladeJean-Hugues AngladeJean-Hugues Anglade is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, best known for his roles as Eric in Killing Zoe, Zorg in Betty Blue and Marco, the boyfriend of Nikita, in Nikita....
as Bernard Kouchner - Strini Pillai as Bangladeshi Commander
- Craig Hourqueble as Willem
- Kenneth Khambula as Major Kamenzi
- Patrice Faye as Colonel Poncet
- Chris Thorne as American Ambassador
- Lena Slachmuijlder as Odette
- Philip AkinPhilip AkinPhilip Akin is a Canadian actor who has been active for over thirty years in stage, film, and television. He has had featured roles in major American films such as The Sum of All Fears, S.W.A.T., and Get Rich or Die Tryin’...
as Kofi Annan - Amanda Alden as CNN Reporter
- Sarah Ashimwe as Angry Woman
Festivals
Shake Hands with the Devil debuted at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival2007 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2007 Toronto International Film Festival was a 32nd annual film festival held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It ran from September 6, 2007 to September 15, 2007. The lineup consisted of 349 films from 55 countries, selected from 4156 submissions...
, with "Visa" public screenings on September 9 and September 11, 2007. The film opened the 27th Atlantic Film Festival
Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival is an international film festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Held annually, the ten-day celebration of film and video from Atlantic Canada and around the world is committed to screening an inspiring and engaging collection of films and videos from Canada and the...
, with the NBC Universal Canada
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
Opening Night Gala screening on September 13, 2007.
Nominations
- 28th Genie Awards28th Genie AwardsThe 28th Genie Awards were held on March 3, 2008 to honour films released in 2007. The ceremony was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
- Best Motion Picture
- Achievement In Art Direction/Production Design (Lindsey Hermer-BellLindsey Hermer-Bell- Career :Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Lindsey Hermer-Bell moved to Canada in 1977. She received a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Toronto, and began her career as designer on the 1983 HBO drama Between Friends...
, Justin S.B. Craig) - Achievement In Costume Design (Joyce Schure)
- Achievement In Cinematography (Miroslaw Baszak)
- Achievement In Direction (Roger Spottiswoode)
- Achievement In Music - Original Score (David Hirschfelder)
- Achievement In Music - Original Song ("Kaya" - Valanga Khoza, David Hirschfelder)
- Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role (Roy Dupuis)
- Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role (Michel Ange Nzojibwami)
- Achievement In Overall Sound (Eric Fitz, Jo Caron, Gavin Fernandes, Benoit Leduc)
- Achievement In Sound Editing (Marcel Pothier, Guy Francoeur, Antoine Morin, Guy Pelletier, Francois Senneville)
- Adapted Screenplay (Michael Donovan)
See also
- Shake Hands with the Devil (book)Shake Hands with the Devil (book)Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda is a book by Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire of the Canadian Forces, with help from Major Brent Beardsley...
- Roméo DallaireRoméo DallaireLieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire, is a Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general...
- Rwandan GenocideRwandan GenocideThe 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...
- List of Canadian films
External links
- Barna-Alper Productions Company website
- J’ai serré la main du diable (Shake Hands with the Devil) at Radio-CanadaCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. (French site with synopsis, production details, photo album, video extracts, related links.) - Shake Hands with the Devil "Regent Releasing Presents": official U.S. website for the film with U.S. trailer. (English)
- Shake Hands with the Devil "Seville Presents": official website for the film with trailer. (English and French language options.)
- Shake Hands with the Devil. Sponsored official website for the film with trailer. (English and French language options.).