Shooting Dogs (2005)

7.6R115 minDirector: Michael Caton-Jones

2005 British film

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 Clare-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 of the massacre survivors were employed as part of the production crew and in 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 the dead. Since the UN soldiers were not allowed to shoot at the Hutu extremists who 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.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Shooting Dogs about?
Shooting Dogs (2005) — In April 1994, after the airplane of the Hutu President of Rwanda is shot down, the Hutu militias slaughter the Tutsi population. In the Ecole Technique Officielle, the Catholic Priest Christopher (Sir John Hurt) and the idealistic English teacher Joe Connor (Hugh Dancy) lodge tw
Is Shooting Dogs based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Shooting Dogs scary?
Content rating: R. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.
What is Shooting Dogs (2005) about? Plot, synopsis and ending explained — Screencodex