The thunderous applause at the end of the London Film Festival screening of Shooting Dogs, mixed with the sounds of people still attempting to sniff back their tears, sums up the experience of the film better than any words could. Although some people may be hesitant to see another film about the genocide in Rwanda after this year's earlier release of Hotel Rwanda, they are two completely different films, and Shooting Dogs is definitely worth seeing.

Co-written by BBC journalist David Belton, who was working in Rwanda during the genocide, Shooting Dogs is a fictionalized account of the true story of what took place at the Ecole Technique Officielle, a school in Kigali, Rwanda. Father Christopher (John Hurt) runs the school, assisted by Joe (Hugh Dancy), a young Brit teaching there during his gap year. A coup occurs when the president of Rwanda is killed, and the Hutu people begin a bloody genocide against the Tutsis. Since UN peace keeping troops are based at the school, close to 2,000 Tutsis use it as a refugee camp, along with 40 Europeans trapped in the country.

This film portrays the events in an emotional, realistic way, and does not flinch from showing the callous and indifferent attitude of the rest of the world. It brings the story to life and makes all of us question what we would do if faced with similar circumstances. Father Christopher and Joe are extraordinary guides to follow throughout the story because Michael Caton-Jones, the director, never transforms them into Hollywood heros – they remain flawed, human, and therefore wonderful throughout.

Unlike Hotel Rwanda, which was shot in South Africa, Shooting Dogs was filmed at the actual locations. And several members of the crew were themselves survivors of the genocide – their stories are revealed during the end credits of the film. The title comes from the fact that the UN Peacekeepers, although not allowed to use their guns on the murdering mob, would shoot the dogs that fed on decomposing bodies of the victims outside the school gates.

800,000 people were killed in 10 days. The UN and the western world abandonned the Tutsis to this fate. If any one of us had been in Joe's position, or Father Christopher's for that matter, what would we or could we have done? Those are the questions that linger in the mind long after the film has ended.

Don't miss this poignant portrayal of the Rwanda genocide. It's a moving story that will stay with you and force you to consider some uncomfortable but necessary questions.

For the film SHOOTING DOGS various 2 blogs have been created which aim to promote and educate on the subject of the Rwandan Genocide. BAFTA Nominated Producer David Belton says:

"We hope that this film will spark debate and these two sites are an opportunity to join in and contribute. We really want to hear from as many voices as possible: to tell us what you think and to open up the discussion so that all of us can share our stories.

We have two blog sites running. The site www.shootingdogsfilm.blogspot.com will mainly focus on the making and the promotion of the film - here you will find all kinds of materials - including trailers and photo. The site will also contain diary entries and cast/crew testimonials from the remarkable team who came together to make Shooting Dogs .

Our sister site Rwandan Survivors www.rwandansurvivors.blogspot.com is designed to be a platform for those who wish their voice to be heard. It will include accounts of the genocide itself from its survivors and be a base for an interactive forum where the Rwandan Genocide and other crimes against humanity will be brought back into the public conscious."

Shooting Dogs will be in cinemas nationwide 31st March