Lets Dance

Last night I watched the documentary "War Dance."

Set in civil war-ravaged Northern Uganda, this Best Documentary nominee for the 2008 Oscars follows the lives of three youngsters who attend school in a refugee camp and find hope through a rich tradition of song and dance. Coming from a world in which children are abducted from their families and forced to fight in the rebel army, these kids give it their all when they travel to the capital city to take part in the prestigious Kampala Music Festival.

It is such a beautifully shot film, and the colors are amazing. The movie goes back and forth between preparing for a music/dance festival and the children telling their stories. The stories will just break your heart. There is this one little boy who just stands out in the film and is so charismatic and musically talented. Like the other children he tells his story alone to the camera. Towards the end of his story he talks about a time the rebels forced him and some other children to kill innocent farmers with their hoes. It was horrifying. The child told the camera that he had never told his mother about it or anyone else because he didn't want to be known as a murder. He was so saddened and ashamed. At other points in the movie you can see how happy and kind everyone is at the refugee school. Then it goes back to a child talking about seeing their parents decapitated heads or being cut into pieces. It is really a tough movie to watch. One moment you are thinking that life and nature is so beautiful and everyone is basically good and then the next moment you hear the most disturbing acts of violence senselessly acted upon. I do recommend it but with warning.