Video/DVD Review: Lost Boys of Sudan
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this documentary follows the true
stories of two young men whose families were murdered or
dispersed in Sudan's civil war. Issues such as racial prejudice
and class privilege come up as the two try to adjust to new
lives in the United States.
Families can talk about immigration. Did members of your own
family come here from other countries, either recently or long
ago? What was it like for them? Should immigrants try to
assimilate into their new surroundings, or should they retain
their own cultures? Are there downsides to the material wealth
and comfort people come to the United States to find? The
complicated nature of prejudice is also open for discussion.
Some of the Sudanese immigrants in the film express scorn and
distrust toward native-born African-Americans. Why do they have
these attitudes? Where did they learn them?
THE LOST BOYS OF SUDAN starts with wrenching narration about Sudan's civil war. So many boys have been orphaned by the violence that the group has acquired a name -- the Lost Boys. Two Lost Boys, Santino and Peter, travel to Texas as part of a resettlement program. Young men who have never seen an electric stove before must now struggle with the labyrinthine details of American life -- taking a driver's test, getting a receipt for the rent, asking a girl for her phone number. Santino gets a factory job. Peter moves to Kansas and attends high school. But even as they settle in, their sense of isolation is palpable. "This place there is no friend here," Santino says. Although most people are well-meaning, real connection is rare. The boys find themselves estranged from their own culture as well. The lure of comparative wealth is powerful, and they debate whether they should stay or return home to help their people.
The immigrant experience is quintessentially American, and this sensitive, powerful documentary shows it in rare detail and with rare honesty. The directors' skill makes it feel as if the camera isn't there; we simply live Peter and Santino's lives with them. When a classmate interviews Peter for the school paper, the rift between her naive questions and the tragedy of his life is staggering. Finally he puts her off with a gentle comment that "explanation is difficult." By the end, many things about the boys' lives are still unsettled. But the film has done what the interview could not -- made explanation, and even understanding, possible. This remarkable movie should be on your must-see list.
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