contemporary world cinema for salmon arm and kelowna |
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War/Dance
Country: USA
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Audience Award: Aspen Film Festival 2007 War/Dance addresses the issues of children and the ongoing war in northern Uganda. For those children who escape the rebel army, refugee camps are often their only way to survive after the decimation of their villages and families. The Patongo Displacement Camp shelters 60,000 refugees under constant military guard, providing a semblance of normalcy where kids can attend school and try to rebuild their shattered lives. Xylophone player Dominic, dancer Nancy, and singer Rose--all in their early teens--become the focus of Sean Fine and Andrea Nix's revealing documentary as they join the other students of the Patongo Primary School in preparing to compete in the prestigious National Music Competition in the capital Kampala. Their tragic stories of murder, abuse and loss provide the background for the school's quest to compete in the nationwide showcase for the first time. Artistically composed cutaways of the stunning landscape surrounding the camp and dynamic sequences of the school's enthusiastic music rehearsals provide a welcome contrast to the children's wrenching tales of terror. This is a refreshingly upbeat film that finds its roots in some sobering events. " War/Dance ...connects the ongoing war [in Uganda] with the ultimately hopeful stories of Rose, Dominic and Nancy." variety.com |
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