Sometimes in April - HBO's version of the Rwandan Genocide.

I watched a horror movie this weekend. Sometimes in April which premiered Saturday 3/19. To say this is powerful, moving, or disturbing - is trite, and an understatement. But let me back up for a sec.

I was somewhat unfamiliar with this story and much like the Americans portrayed in the movie, I suffer from apathy toward international affairs. I have to grudgingly admit - if it doesn't directly affect me or if I don't have an "interest" it it - things rarely show up on my radar. I also haven't yet seen Hotel Rwanda.

So I went in thinking this should be interesting, for an HBO movie. And it was, but also was more than that. The actor's portrayals seemed genuine, particularly Carole Karemera who plays Jeane (how she managed to relive this I cannot imagine), and Prudence Bushnell, and the overall theme was moving. However, the overall scenes...

***** SPOILERS *****
Seeing bodies strewn thru the streets and countryside...as people tried to continue to live during this chaos...injured Hutu's and Tutsi's hiding in swamps along with butchered body parts...Hutu soldiers committing acts of sexual abuse and violence, against women and childreen, over and above that "warranted" by the 'racial warfare'...a child stepping casually over the dead...the carnage...and watching Rwandan turn on Rwandan, their "brothers" just the day before. It was almost too much to take.

And watching American apathy - from Washington "bureaucrats", as well as UN peacekeepers, to the average American - struck too close to home.
***** END SPOILERS *****

If you get a chance to watch this, please do - along with the Behind the Scenes special, that shows the actual locations (they shot in Rwanda) and tells some of the story behind the movie. There are also links on their site to find out or do more. This isn't the quintessential piece to watch on this tragedy, but given the nature of the genocide - I don't think there can possibly be one. And this is a good place to start.