like a more intimate and tragic version of Balseros
Lost Boys of Sudan (2004)
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Reviews Counted:45
Fresh:43
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: The Lost boys of Sudan works as both a riveting documentary and scathing indictment of colonialism.
Runtime: 87 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
Synopsis: LOST BOYS OF SUDAN, directed by San Francisco-based documentary filmmakers Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk, observes the experiences and impressions of two boys from Sudan who were brought to the United... LOST BOYS OF SUDAN, directed by San Francisco-based documentary filmmakers Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk, observes the experiences and impressions of two boys from Sudan who were brought to the United States as part of a resettlement program that took place in 2001. Thousands of people were allowed to immigrate to the United States to escape from the civil war that had plagued Sudan for 20 years, driving many of that country's residents to refugee camps. Peter Dut and Santino Chuor met Mylan and Shank in a refugee camp in Kakuma Kenya, which is where they agreed to make LOST BOYS. The film tracks their passage to the United States, where they settle into lives and jobs in Houston, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri. It is through their eyes that the film communicates both an idea of what Sudan is like in their memories of home, the differences between the lives they led in Africa and their new lives in the United States, and the simple homesickness and frustration that comes with being transplanted to a totally foreign country. In the end, what comes through is their determination to succeed, adapt, and build a strong foundation in their new country, while never forgetting the people they left behind. [More]
Director: Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk
Director: Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk
Producer: Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk
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Reviews for Lost Boys of Sudan
For American viewers, Lost Boys of Sudan not only details a great tragedy a half-a-world away, but also illuminates much that's good and bad about life in our own country.
It is remarkable how Mylan and Shenk, without voiceovers or other narrative crutches, so flawlessly capture the American experience -- through the eyes of two Sudanese men.
It does make you wonder: about good intentions gone awry, about the mythologizing of the American Dream, about cultural chasms and the ways in which people are so similar, and so different.
A fascinating and sobering glimpse into their lives that makes us re-examine our own priorities.
It's not as illuminating as it could be, but it sheds light just the same.
It's fascinating to watch these two young men start down the same path and end up in such totally different circumstances... also to see our country from their point of view.
In Lost Boys of Sudan, we don't just hear about the steps of assimilation; we see them, and we feel their cumulative effect.
A touching documentary on the immigrant experience -- or at least one very tough slice of it.
Too short by half, Lost Boys of Sudan affords frustratingly little by way of real analysis and history. But it does introduce us to two extraordinary young men whose faith in this country is almost as unbearably sad as their stories.
The filmmakers deftly capture the boys' depression and triumphs, but something of the American character -- the generosity and the arrogance -- as well.
Suffering brought on by colonialism documented in stunning documentary
Yearns to be optimistic (juxtaposed with the disaster of Sudan, it certainly has the right to be), yet that only ends up underscoring its ache of sadness.
A potent, engrossing look at several young refugees from Sudan's disastrous, endless civil war who've been relocated to the U.S.
Latest News for Lost Boys of Sudan
September 05, 2007:
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This week at RTIndie, we check out the early buzz from Telluride and Venice, where some of the fall's most anticipated indies have premiered. And our DVD Pick of the Week is a... More...
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