I just saw Hotel Rwanda with my friend Austin. On the whole, i think it was very good - it established the colonial constructions of the ethnicized categories early on, and dwelt not on the civilization versus barbarism tropes one might expect in a Hollywood movie, but instead looked at the racialized global divisions and definitions of peoplehood very critically. There were problematic moments - while Western racism is problematized, all of the Americans and Europeans we meet in the film are nevertheless depicted as kind humanitarians and good samaritans. The terrible voice of indifference is transmitted only through radio boradcasts of Bill Clinton promising to aid only American citizens and a State Department spokesperson who engages in the linguistic gymnastics of when genocide is not genocide. And with the exception of the scene in which he explains Western racism to Cheadle's Russessabegina over a shot of scotch, (which is, i suppose, his pivotal scene,) Nick Nolte as heroic American Colonel with the UN Belgian special forces is not particularly believable. But i hold that this film is worth seeing and i'm interested in other folks' reactions.



I heard today that a friend from high school had been hospitalized with "cancer or something." I was extremely worried. Turns out it's something of a false alarm. The surgery was minor, the friend is ok. I'm relieved, but i feel guilty too, because of the folks we've lost over the past seven and a half years. Relief seems sordid.