Courtesy of the Artivist Film Festival
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Children of War brought the war in Uganda, and its effects on children, to an audience in Tribeca last week as part of the annual Artivist film festival in New York.
The film followed three leading characters, children who have been forced to commit should-be unimaginable acts of violence, and explores how complicated the path is for them to return to a normal life. The film deals with questions of forgiveness, and features discussions with children about the things they have gone through and about their attempts to move on—and hesitations they have about forgiving when their recruitment into the war ruined their chances for an education and their potential to live out their dreams.
There are also appearances by a former official with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the group led by Joseph Kony responsible for most of the more than 20-year long war.
There are some really promising rehabilitation programs in the country and there is a semblance of peace talks, but there is still a long road to establishing peace and normalcy in northern Uganda. But there is hope, as one child in the film said: "Today marks a new beginning."
Also showing...
Prior to the Children of War was a film short: The ONE WAYz, about Chato, a teenage boy who watches immigration agents take his father away from their home. The film explores the relationship that develops between Chato and his newly arrived 13-year-old white neighbor.
Both films are eye-opening and really worth seeing, if you can find (or create) the chance.
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