War Dance
by Andrea Nix, Sean Fine
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DVD details
Actor: Dominic, Jane Adong, Kitara Coldwell, Nancy, RoseDirector: Andrea Nix, Sean Fine
Brand: Image Entertainment
Writer: Andrea Nix
Writer: Sean Fine
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 107 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-04-15
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Model: TF-55225
Studio: Velocity / Thinkfilm
DVD Reviews of War Dance
DVD Review: "I am more than a child of war"
Summary: 5 Stars
"We are going to show them that we are giants," declares 14-year-old Dominic, as he prepares to go on stage at Kampala's national theater to compete in Uganda's massive school musical performance competition. Almost miraculously, it seems, Dominic's school in one of the remotest and most war-torn areas of northern Uganda, has made it through the preliminary rounds and will represent their region and the beleagured Acholi tribe at the annual event.
That's no mean feat, since Dominic and his fellow musicians live in a camp for internal refugees in Patongo, crowded together in huts, guarded around the clock by the army and reliant on monthly food distributions from relief organizations. Each of the three young teenagers has undergone tremendous trauma -- one tells a harrowing story of her parents' fate -- but when they perform, the sadness disappears from their faces to be be replaced by the sheer joy of performing.
It's rare for a documentary film to triumph on so many fronts. The cinematography is superb; the editing is seamless, the soundtrack (not surprisingly, given the topic) will have your toes tapping and body moving in no time. The viewer sees daily life in the refugee village and the final rehearsals for the performance from the point of view of the three young teens whose stories serve as the focal point of the documentary and it's told largely through their eyes, with only a few comments from outsiders, from a judge in Kampala to the Acholi tribe professional musicians who arrive at the 11th hour to help the Patongo school prepare for the competition.
The film is a journey on many levels. As the young people discuss their lives to date, they reach certain crisis points -- Dominic, for instance, discussses his experiences as a child soldier and obtains some news on the probable fate of his older brother, while Rose finds the courage to defy her aunt, who treats her as an unpaid servant, to make the trip to Kampala. It's a journey of discovery for all the young musicians when they leave for Kampala, glued to the windows of the bus as they watch their country whirl past them and as they arrive in the big city. They discover not only the wonders of the city itself, but the dismissive attitudes of other, more privileged and wealthier schools who are competing. "I pray I will not let my people down," Dominic mutters to himself before stepping on stage with his traditional xylophone. But they discover that what matters is the joy of music.
An endnote reminds us that for all the film's uplifting nature, all three of its main characters remained in overcrowded and poor Patongo, under siege by rebels, some two or three years later. But this is far more than a film designed to remind us of how fortunate we are; it serves also to remind us of the common elements of our human existence and the transformative powers of music and dance. "When I dance, my problems vanish," 14-year-old Nancy confides. "I can feel the wind."
Description of War Dance
Set in war-raved Northern Uganda, the award-winning WAR DANCE will touch your heart with a real-life story about a group of children whose love of music brings joy, excitement and hope back into their poverty-stricken lives. Three children who have suffered horrific brutalities momentarily forget their struggles as they participate in music, song and dance at their school. Invited to compete in a prestigious music festival in their nation?s capitol, their historic journey is a stirring tale about the power of the human spirit to triumph against tremendous odds.Bestsellers in DVD
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