Review: There is an inherent limitation in documentaries covering child soldiers and genocide in Africa. Make a film about the harsh realities facing people in these countries and it inevitably becomes too depressing for mainstream audiences to have any desire to sit through. Conversely, focus your film on a now popular survivor or a celebrity seeking to aid the region, the focus on the issues is lost. War Child steps into this conundrum, and although it tends to slip into the latter problems, it manages to pull out the emotional chords of audiences while also developing an overall inspiring and empowering story. The first thing audiences will come away with is just how unique Emmanuel Jal is. Yes, the whole rapper/activist is incredibly interesting, but this is merely the tip of the spear in understanding what makes this former child soldier so interesting. For one, he admits to willingly joining the war as a child. He wasn’t kidnapped or forced, he signed up. Now obviously, a boy not even 10 years old shouldn’t be allowed to make such decisions, but to hear him admit to this and to also briefly describe some of his crimes and his hatred for the Arab government he fought against is (to put it in the worst terms possible) refreshing. To hear and see also how much he has changed and how he eagerly donates his time and resources and also just helps inspire refugees to hold onto their dreams is powerful. And above all this, the man (who still doesn’t even know his exact age) has such peace and love about him despite all the troubles he endured. Director C. Karim Chrobog does his best to focus his documentary on these elements. War Child is never just a plea for assistance, or a lament of hardships endured, or even a boasting of survival, it is an honest reflection into one man’s remarkable life. Of course, by doing so, it sometimes manages to only allow audiences so close. At one point, a rather emotional scene occurs as Jal’s sister details her story of escaping to Kenya. But the film never lets viewers in close enough to truly relive these emotions and on some level it falls flat. There are numerous other examples (returning home, visiting Emmanuel’s dad for the first time in nearly 20 years, etc) of Chrobog seemingly holding audiences at a distance and with many of them it’s unclear why this direction was taken. And even though you feel inspired by the end, on some level you don’t feel cleansed, and this really limits War Child’s impact. But at an hour and a half length, the time goes by surprisingly fast and is intertwined with rap and traditional African songs. Chrobog also, very wisely, incorporates a 1988 documentary that happened to feature Emmanuel as a boy living in a refuge camp. The footage has surprisingly great quality and its inclusion allows viewers to feel as if they’ve shared in this rapper’s long journey. And even more impressively, this past footage, when stacked next to Emmanuel’s current image, demonstrates a boy’s spirit that managed to survive war, starvation, loss and numerous other hardships. It was a great choice to incorporate it and makes the experience all the more rewarding. Most impressively however, is how War Child never throws guilt onto the audience or any individuals. It’s as if guilt or blame is no longer necessary, and although most cannot relate to Emmanuel’s life exactly, the film (as well as the rapper) seemingly never accuse us of being fortunate, but only urge us to use our resources to help others. Hopefully, by choosing this angle, it’ll encourage more people to contribute to rebuilding this war torn country. If it does, then Emmanuel, and this documentary centered on him, will have done truly great things. Review by Matthew Abshire Extra Sources for further research: WWW.GuaAfricaUS.com - GUA Africa was founded by Emmanuel Jal, an ex-child soldier turned rap artist. The word GUA (pronounced gwaah) means peace in Nuer, a tribal language of Southern Sudan. Its mission is to work with individuals, families and communities to help them overcome the effects of war and poverty. Each of our projects focus on providing an education to children and young adults who would otherwise be denied such opportunity in Kenya and Sudan. Informative: 4- a broad, sweeping story that sometimes holds you at arms length when you really prefer to be closer Entertainment: 4- the music picks up whenever the story slows Technical: 3.5- as the film progresses, so to does the direction Overall: 4- not just a rapper, not just a former child soldier, there is more to Emmanuel Jal, just as there is more to this documentaryhttp://WWW.GuaAfricaUS.comshapeimage_1_link_0
 
Format: DVD Year: 2008 Running Time: 92 Min Distributor: Reelu Films, 18th Street Film and Kalorama Road Films Producer: Christian Karim Chrobog and Afshin Molavi Director: Christian Karim Chrobog Date Reviewed: 5-25-2009 Story: Hip-hop star Emmanuel Jal returns home to Sudan, where he was forced to fight as a child soldier during the region's civil war, in this powerful documentary that examines the roots of the long-running conflict and its impact on Jal's life and music. Going back to Africa to be reunited with his family provokes a deeply moving response in Jal, and his powerful songs reveal his very complex feelings about one of the world's overlooked tragedies (NetFlix).