''Shake Hands with the Devil'' is a 2007 Canadian war drama film starring Roy Dupuis as

Roméo Dallaire Roméo Antonius Dallaire (born June 25, 1946) is a Canadian humanitarian, author, retired senator and Canadian Forces lieutenant-general. Dallaire served as force commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda ...

, which premiered at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

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 The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu ...

and how the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

didn’t heed Dallaire's urgent pleas for further assistance to halt the massacre. The film received 12 nominations at the

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. The show was broadcast on E! and Independent Film Channel and hosted by ...

and tied with the film ''

Eastern Promises ''Eastern Promises'' is a 2007 gangster film directed by David Cronenberg from a screenplay by Steven Knight. The film tells the story of Anna (Naomi Watts), a Russian-British midwife who delivers the baby of a drug-addicted 14-year old Russian ...

'' for most nominations.

Film production and planned release

A co-production of

Barna-Alper Productions Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television s ...

, of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, and Halifax Film Company, of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, the movie was directed by

Roger Spottiswoode John Roger Spottiswoode (born 5 January 1945) is a Canadian-British director, editor and writer of film and television. Early life He was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and was raised in Britain. His father Raymond Spottiswoode was a British ...

(''

Tomorrow Never Dies ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' is a 1997 spy film, the eighteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode from a screenplay ...

'', ''

And the Band Played On ''And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic'' is a 1987 book by ''San Francisco Chronicle'' journalist Randy Shilts. The book chronicles the discovery and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immun ...

'') and filmed in part on location in

Kigali Kigali () is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwanda's economic, cult ...

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

, 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 Michael Donovan is a Canadian voice actor and director known for his roles as Suikotsu in ''Inuyasha'' and Zoken Mato in ''Fate/stay night''. He has also directed many animated series and feature films. Roles Animation * ''3-2-1 Penguins!''K ...

(Halifax), as well as Wayne Clarkson of

Telefilm Canada Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation reporting to Canada's federal government through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Headquartered in Montreal, Telefilm provides services to the Canadian audiovisual industry with four regional offices in ...

, occurred in

Montréal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

on June 2, 2006. In a special account of the filming published in the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...

'' 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 ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was est ...

on August 9, 2006, Arthur Asiimwe quotes from his interview in

with the film's director

"Our film is about a man who was aware
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the ...
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 Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was est ...
at the capital's
Amahoro stadium The Amahoro Stadium ( rw, Stade Amahoro; french: Stade Amahoro; Kinyarwanda for "Peace Stadium"), officially known as Amahoro National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Gasabo district of Kigali, Rwanda. With a capacity of 25,000, it is ...
, 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 Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
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
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
's troubled
Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju ...
region. The
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
has called the
Darfur conflict The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, is a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups be ...
genocide.

On August 13, 2006, Halifax's ''

The Chronicle Herald ''The Chronicle Herald'' is a broadsheet newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada owned by SaltWire Network of Halifax. The paper's newsroom staff were locked out of work from January 2016 until August 2017. ''Herald'' management con ...

'' issued a call for extras, reporting "After filming several months in

Kigali, Rwanda Kigali () is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwanda's economic, cul ...

, crews return to Halifax to begin the final shoot ... It will be released in Canada n September 2007by Seville Pictures. Pay channels

The Movie Network Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Canadian premium television network and streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. Launched in 1983 as the national service First Choice, early difficulties and a subsequent ...

Movie Central Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to opera ...

, and

Super Écran Super Écran is a Canadian premium television network owned by Bell Media. It airs a mix of commercial-free films and television series. Films are primarily sourced from the United States and Canada, while the television series mostly consist of ...

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.)

Cast

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

it has an approval rating of 55% based on reviews from 11 critics. On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

the film had an average score of 57 out of 100, based on 8 reviews.

Festivals

''Shake Hands with the Devil'' debuted at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, 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.

Accolades

** Best Motion Picture ** Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design ( Lindsey Hermer-Bell, 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)

Notes

References

* Asiimwe, Arthur.
"Dallaire Movie Criticizes U.N. Role."

Canada August 10, 2006. Accessed August 11, 2006. * ———.
"New Rwanda Genocide Movie Criticizes U.N. Role."

br>AlertNet: Alerting Humanitarians to Emergencies
August 9, 2006, accessed August 10, 2006.
"Cinéma: Rwanda: Roy Dupuis: Serrera-t-il la main du diable?
("Cinema: Rwanda: Roy Dupuis: Will He Shake Hands with the Devil?") Radio-Canada May 9, 2006. * Cooke, Stephen.
"Directing Dallaire:
Spottiswoode at Helm of Haunting Tale of Rwandan Tragedy As Seen through Lt.-Gen.’s Eyes." [Interview with

.] ''

Halifax Chronicle-Herald ''The Chronicle Herald'' is a broadsheet newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada owned by SaltWire Network of Halifax. The paper's newsroom staff were locked out of work from January 2016 until August 2017. ''Herald'' management con ...

'' August 17, 2006. Accessed August 17, 2006. * Coulombe, Michel.
"Roy Dupis ''est'' Roméo Dallaire"
'' Radio-Canada'' September 28, 2007. Accessed September 30, 2007. * Demers, Maxime.
"Festival des films du monde: Éprouvant séjour au Rwanda."
Roy_Dupuis..html" ;"title="nterview with Roy Dupuis.">nterview with Roy Dupuis. ''

Le Journal de Montréal ''Le Journal de Montréal'' is a daily French-language tabloid newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Quebec and is also the largest French-language daily newspaper in North America. Es ...

'' August 27, 2006. ''Canoë'', Culture-Showbiz Actualités August 27, 2006. Accessed August 27, 2006.
"Dupuis Goes from The Rocket to Rwanda."
C21 Media May 30, 2006.
"Dupuis Takes On Dallaire Role."
''

Edmonton Sun The ''Edmonton Sun'' is a daily newspaper and news website published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is owned by Postmedia following its 2015 acquisition of Sun Media from Quebecor. It began publishing Sunday April 2, 1978 and shares many c ...

'' June 1, 2006.
"Dupuis to Play Dallaire in Film Based on Memoir."

CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

(

Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...

) June 2, 2006. (Updated Fri. June 2, 2006, 5:53 p.m. ET.)
"Extras Needed for Dallaire Movie in Halifax"
''

'' August 13, 2006. Accessed August 13, 2006. * Fiset, Marie-Chantal.
"Jean-Guy Plante replonge au coeur du génocide rwandais:
Originaire de St-Félix, il a participé au tournage de Shake Hands with the Devil." [Interview with former soldier and military spokesman for the

who served as the film's consultant on military matters.] ''Le Citoyen de l'Harricana'' (Amos, Quebec, Amos, Abitibi, Québec) August 27, 2006. ''Les Hebdos Régionaux de Quebecor'' August 26, 2006. Accessed August 27, 2006. (Incl. photo of Plante with Roy Dupuis during shooting.) * Fraughton, Holly.
"Out of Africa:
Filming in Rwanda 'bit of a culture shock' for Director of Photography Bibby." nterview.''

'' August 27, 2006. Accessed August 27, 2006. * Gauthier, Catherine.
"Catherine Gauthier a rencontré le général Dallaire pour la présentation du film"
''La Doublure du Général'' on Arts & Spectacles. Radio-Canada June 2, 2006. (Video; in French) * Guy, Chantal.
"Roy Dupuis: quand la belle gueule parle."
("When Handsome Roy Dupuis Speaks.") '' La Presse (Canada)'' June 5, 2006. * ---.
"Roy Dupuis sera Roméo Dallaire."
("Roy Dupuis Will Be Roméo Dallaire.") '' La Presse (Canada)'' May 30, 2006. * Hays, Matthew.
"From the Rocket to Rwanda."
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' June 8, 2006. ("Insider Edition" subscription required.) * Heath-Eves, Susannah. "Rwandan Film Industry Emerging.
''New Times (Kigali, Rwanda)''
June 19, 2006.
Interview with Roy Dupuis and Senator Roméo Dallaire
'' Tout le monde en parle'' (Québec version). Zone Télévision, Radio-Canada. "Dimanche 30 Septembre", 30 September 2007, 8:00 p.m. (Hyperlinked program announcement. In French.) * Kelly, Brendan.
"Roy Dupuis to Play Roméo Dallaire."
''

Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of t ...

'' May 30, 2006, Arts & Life: D5. (Gazette subscription required.) * Mercy, Colette.
"Colette Mercy explique ce projet cinématographique" on Arts & Spectacles
Radio-Canada June 2, 2006. (Audio; in French)
"Politique étrangère: Harper est irresponsable, selon Roméo Dallaire."
Radio-Canada June 3, 2006. Incl. links to pertinent audio and video about film and press conference.
"Roy Dupuis sera la général Roméo Dallaire dans 'J'ai serré la main du diable.'"
Canada.com (

) June 2, 2006.
"'Shake Hands with the Devil' Set to Begin Shooting."
''

'' (

) May 30, 2006. ("Insider Edition" subscription required.) * Thompson, Allan.
"One Last Dance with the Devil:
On Location in Rwanda, As the Cast and Crew of Shake Hands with the Devil Try to Recreate an Unimaginable Horror."

July 22, 2006.
"Tournage: J'ai serré la main du diable: un "statement politique"."
Radio-Canada June 7, 2006. Incl. link to dossier on Roméo Dallaire.

External links

*
J’ai serré la main du diable
' (''Shake Hands with the Devil'') at Radio-Canada * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shake Hands With The Devil (2007 Film) 2007 films English-language Canadian films English-language Rwandan films 2000s war drama films Quebec films Canadian Armed Forces in films Canadian war drama films Films based on biographies Rwandan genocide films War films based on actual events Films about the United Nations Roméo Dallaire Films shot in Nova Scotia Films directed by Roger Spottiswoode Films scored by David Hirschfelder DHX Media films 2007 drama films French-language Canadian films 2000s Canadian films