God Grew Tired of Us
by Christopher Quinn
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Daniel Abul Pach, John Bul Dau, Panther BiorDirector: Christopher Quinn
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Paul Daley
Composer: Mark McAdam
Composer: Jamie Staff
Composer: Mark Nelson
Editor: Johanna Giebelhaus
Editor: Geoffrey Richman
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-08-14
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of God Grew Tired of Us
Movie Review: fine, powerful and informative documentary loaded with emotion
Summary: 5 Stars
God Grew Tired Of Us gives us a sensitive, human portrayal of the incredible strife the people of southern Sudan endured as they fled northern Sudanese troops entering their villages and killing their people. The footage of the Sudanese conflict does not pull any punches--it is quite graphic and I was truly upset by the needless suffering so many countless people faced. The characters in the United Nations refugee camp are easy to empathize with; and the plot of the documentary unfolds at a good pace that held my interest every step of the way. This is an outstanding documentary about a very long war in Sudan that received not enough attention from the United States and other world powers.
The documentary starts off showing the footage of the conflict and then we soon zone into a United Nations refugee camp in Kenya. It is touching to see these young men, now referred to as "the lost boys of Sudan" because they had nothing and no families left, forming makeshift families with deep interpersonal bonds. These young men also dream of finding their relatives who they lost when they had to flee their Sudanese villages very abruptly. Specifically, we meet three young men: Panther, John and Daniel. These young men are selected to live new lives in the USA; and the documentary follows them as they journey to America. We see them use an electric light switch for the very first time and they marvel at the ability of a refrigerator to keep food cold or even frozen. They need to be told how to use the restroom instead of a latrine and they receive much kindness and patience from the charities that help them acclimate to life in America.
Over time (this documentary covers a period of a little more than three years), we see them start to thrive. They can get jobs, go to school, buy cars--but they do complain that juggling all those jobs can be rough! However, they never seem to feel sorry for themselves; rather they display enormous personal strength and I truly admire John, Panther and Daniel.
In addition, with the passage of time the three young men begin to experience ever increasing separation anxiety from their homeland and those they left behind. It moved me greatly to see these young men sending so much money back to the refugee camp in Kenya so that the refugees there could have a better quality of life. One young man, John, finds his parents and his determination to help them financially when they can't even afford clothing is truly exemplary. The moment when he is reunited with his mother at an airport in America after at least twelve years of separation is one of the most emotional I've ever witnessed.
The DVD extras include a commentary and there's a very well done "making of" featurette as well.
Overall, I highly recommend this well done documentary. It greatly enhanced my understanding of the Sudanese War and on a human level it is very moving indeed.
Summary of God Grew Tired of Us
God Grew Tired of Us is as much about America as it is about Africa. The moving documentary begins in war-torn Sudan with the mid-1980s exodus of 27,000 Christian boys, most between five and ten. After their arrival in Kenya, the UN steps in with aid. Directors Christopher Quinn and Tommy Walker pick up the story a decade later, narrowing their focus to Panther, John, and Daniel, three of 3,800 given the opportunity to resettle in the US. Quinn and Walker are with them when they land in the States, where everything is new and exciting--electricity, running water, pre-packaged foodstuffs--all the things Americans take for granted. Through the assistance of various relief organizations, their expenses are covered for the next few months. After that, the trio is expected to provide for themselves (they're older than the subjects in 2003's The Lost Boys of Sudan). Divided between Pittsburgh, PA and Syracuse, NY, the young men are thrilled with their suburban lives. Over the next year, however, joy turns to sorrow. They miss their families and have trouble making connections beyond their social group. The directors document another two years, by which point things are finally starting to look up. Produced by Brad Pitt, God Grew Tired of Us won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance. Nicole Kidman provides a little narration, but for the most part, the Lost Boys speak for themselves, which is exactly as it should be. --Kathleen C. FennessyAn award-winning critically acclaimed documentary narrated by Nicole Kidman GOD GREW TIRED OF US explores the indomitable spirit of three Lost Boys from the Sudan who are forced to leave their homeland due to a tumultuous civil war. Traveling barefoot across the sub-Saharan desert John Bul Dau Daniel Abol Pach and Panther Blor were among the 25000 Lost Boys (ages 3 to 13) who fled villages formed surrogate families and sought refuge from famine disease wild animals and attacks from rebel soldiers. Named by a journalist after Peter Pan s posse of orphans who protected and provided for each other the Lost Boys traveled together for five years and against all odds crossed into the UN s refugee camp in Kakuma Kenya. A journey s end for some it was only the beginning for John Daniel and Panther who along with 3800 other young survivors were selected to re-settle in the United States.The documentary chronicles their triumph over seemingly insurmountable adversities and a relocation to America where the Lost Boys build active and fulfilling new lives but remain deeply committed to helping friends and family they have left behind. The film is produced by Brad Pitt and Dermot Mulroney.System Requirements:Running Time: 89 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: PG UPC: 043396198999 Manufacturer No: 19899
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