This 2003 documentary focuses on the lives of two young men, Peter Duk and Santino Chuor, who were among the estimated 4,000 African refugees brought to the U.S. after civil war made them refugees. Having lost their families to gunfire, the "Lost Boys of Sudan" walked for hundreds of miles, avoiding lions and nearly starving. They found safety in refugee camps but lingered there for years. The answer for Peter and Santino, and many others, was to head for the United States.
The beauty of this documentary is the lack of intrusive voice-overs or fancy editing. No heavy-handed preaching. It simply follows the journey of these young men as they go from a life of huts and eating corn mush to having an apartment of their own and eating at Sonic. Life in the U.S. is not the "heaven" they hoped for, but they do see it as a path to the future and hopefully, a way to bring some kind of help to their native country.
While Peter stays behind in Houston, Santino ends up going to high school in Kansas City. It is fascinating to watch the reaction of others to Santino, especially that of his guidance counselor and a fellow student who interviews him for the school paper. The teen seems totally untouched by Santino's story, perhaps because she can't grasp what he's gone through.
"The Lost Boys of Sudan" certainly gave me a jolt in realizing that I take a lot for granted. Despite all they've gone through, these young men clearly know where they're going, even if it is a hard row to how. I highly recommend it, especially for teens who may not comprehend how other culture differ from the American way of life.
The beauty of this documentary is the lack of intrusive voice-overs or fancy editing. No heavy-handed preaching. It simply follows the journey of these young men as they go from a life of huts and eating corn mush to having an apartment of their own and eating at Sonic. Life in the U.S. is not the "heaven" they hoped for, but they do see it as a path to the future and hopefully, a way to bring some kind of help to their native country.
While Peter stays behind in Houston, Santino ends up going to high school in Kansas City. It is fascinating to watch the reaction of others to Santino, especially that of his guidance counselor and a fellow student who interviews him for the school paper. The teen seems totally untouched by Santino's story, perhaps because she can't grasp what he's gone through.
"The Lost Boys of Sudan" certainly gave me a jolt in realizing that I take a lot for granted. Despite all they've gone through, these young men clearly know where they're going, even if it is a hard row to how. I highly recommend it, especially for teens who may not comprehend how other culture differ from the American way of life.