Mind-Blowing Films That Are Based on Real People

Hotel Rwanda

Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel owner in Rwanda, who protected his community when the Hutu military forces began their campaign for ethnic cleansing against the Tutsi people. Rusesabagina did his best to protect his people, but the violence eventually escalated into genocide while his world collapsed around him. 

The Pianist

The Pianist is an adaptation of the autobiography titled "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw 1939-1945". The film stars Adrien Brody, who plays Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish pianist who is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto during the genocide of the Jewish people during WWII. 

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The More You Know

  • Reed Hasting started Netflix after receiving $40 in late fees when returning Apollo 13.
  • After Hitler ordered the deportation of Denmark's Jewish population, Danish citizens organized a massive evacuation of the Jews to neutral Sweden, despite the risks. In the end, 99% of Danish Jews survived the Holocaust.
  • Portland was named by a coin flip. Had the coin landed the other way, the city would be known as Boston, Oregon.
  • In 1567, the man said to have the longest beard in the world died after he tripped over his beard running away from a fire.
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Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.