Movies/TV
Horror and Hope
By Esther Iverem--SeeingBlack.com Editor and Film Critic
Nov 16, 2007, 12:58

There are few films like “War/Dance” that make you both laugh and cry. There have been many good documentaries about Africa—most recently, “Darfur Now,” “Lumo” and “Angels in the Dust”—but what filmmakers Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine have captured here is the spirit of a people. The children of the Acholi people in Northern Uganda, who have been forced into displacement camps and slaughtered by armed rebels, embody our fears, hopes and joy, from beginning to end.

There is an unusual fusion here of horror and delight, which seems to be the only way to tell the story of these children, many of whom are orphans, who are preparing to represent their people in a national performance competition. While they prepare, they are coping with the murder and loss of family members, or scars from their own brutalization at the hands of rebels.

Three children receive primary focus. Rose, Nancy and Dominic have their own journey of loss and challenge. The filmmakers give each child enough time and care so that we connect with them. We are made to feel both the danger and potential for each Acholi life caught in the crosshairs.

Direction, which takes us up-close to rehearsals, to a wonder-filled trip to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and to the competition, captures many moving moments and youthful, artistic energy. In an interview, the filmmakers stated that they spent 14 weeks with the children at their school, the Patongo Primary School, but the film feels much richer than that, as if the film crew stayed for twice that time.

“War/Dance” is a classic that allows us to root for underdog, while we also root for the least protected and vulnerable human being. If this film is not nominated for an Oscar, it will be more proof that stories about Black lives and pain are not rated highly by those doing the judging.


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