Lost+Boys+of+Sudan

God Grew Tired of Us. Directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn and Tommy Walker. Released in 2006. **2)** **What would you say is the central argument/narrative of the film?** This film documents the lives of a few “lost boys” from Sudan. The majority of the surviving lost boys, who trekked across Africa in order to escape the bloody civil war of their country, ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya. A handful of these boys were chosen to come to America and start a new life outside the restrictions of their previous living conditions. By sharing the experiences of the lost boys in their new surroundings, the film illustrates various cultural differences between our country and Sudan. 3) **What cultural dynamics does the article/film draw out?** **(Gender? Conflict? Ritual? Leadership? Religious? Art? Political? Legal? Economic? Technological? Ecological?)**
 * 1)** **Title, author/director, year of publication/release?**

This documentary touches on many cultural dynamics simply by comparing the home country of the lost boys to the new area they have been brought to. Specifically, the topics of conflict, ritual, politics, economics and technology are explored through the scenes in this film. Conflict is an important dynamic in this movie because it is the reason for the displacement of the boys in the first place. The civil war that forced them out of Sudan, which began in 1983, was largely a continuation of another civil war that began in 1955 and lasted until 1972. This war was one of the most violent conflicts in the 20th century, killing approximately 1.9 million civilians and dislocating over 4 million others (Second Sudanese Civil War). It was this violence and conflict that forced the lost boys to leave their home country in search of refuge. Disconnected from their families and left only with their fellow lost boys, most did not know whether they’re parents had survived or not. While conflict, in some cases, can be minimal and have little impact, this film illustrates how conflict can also be extremely devastating and a turning point in one’s life. Through their displacement as a result of conflict, the lost boys were exposed to many new rituals that were foreign to their culture. For example, some of the boys asked a lot of questions around Christmastime, confused about the idea of Santa Clause and the tradition of decorating a tree. They also learned about different rituals in a more general sense of living. Discovering indoor plumbing was certainly a change from their previous excretory rituals, and the food that is native to Americans was a big switch for the Sudanese boys as well. Digging deeper into the rituals associated with food, it was also interesting to see the variation involved with the preparation of meals. It was clear that the lost boys brought skills and traditions with them from Sudan and incorporated what they knew into the surroundings they were previously unaccustomed to. While I am unsure as to how much training or assistance in acclimating the boys received, it is safe to assume that some newly learned practices were abandoned for more comfortable rituals that the boys were used to. For example, the lost boys were almost guaranteed to have seen silverware at some point during their time in the U.S., and yet a clip in the film showed them eating with their hands. One of the lost boys, John Bul, explains that continuing to eat with their hands will help them to “look more Dinka, make us look more African”. It is a way for them to maintain their culture in a different world. As John Bul goes on to say “A person without culture, is like a human being without land, so it is good to keep our tradition.” A lot of other new things that the boys experienced could be considered rituals as well, such as ice-skating and interaction (or lack thereof) with strangers. One thing that is commented on in the movie is how Americans appear to be much less friendly than people in Sudan. The boys describe how in Sudan, you can approach someone if you need help, even if you don’t now them. However, they are afraid to do that in the U.S. because they say people will call the police. Politics also played a key role in the development of this film. While conflict was the reason for the displacement of the boys, politics were the reason for the conflict. The first civil war in Sudan, pitting the North against the South, was largely a consequence of the North wanting to integrate with the South (the two regions had previously been separate, with cultural and environmental differences). This change led to increased Northern power and resentment in the South. These tense conditions culminated into the civil war that eventually led to a second civil war, which was responsible for the displacement of thousands of Sudanese boys. The involvement of politics does not end there, though. Politics also comes into play when considering the aid that the boys received. The U.S. government had to allow the boys to seek refuge in the states and also arrange for their travel here. Also, until the boys were able to find jobs and support themselves, they received government welfare checks. Economics is a valuable dynamic present in the documentary as well. Searching deeper into the cause of the war that displaced the boys, I found that economics played a role as well. Southern Sudan has an abundance of oil fields and is much more fertile than the North. The North wanted to gain control over these natural resources, seeing how oil revenues account for 70% of the country’s export earnings (Second Sudanese Civil War). Therefore, among other things, economic incentives certainly played a role in the tension that led to war. Turning to the boys stay in the U.S., economics plays another role. In the film, the boys express an interest in being self-sustainable and being able to support themselves. They achieve this by finding jobs and working hard where they are employed. In fact, many of the boys seek out multiple jobs in order to support their friends and families in Africa, along with themselves. Economic empowerment is much easier to achieve in the U.S. than in the previous living conditions of the boys, and they take full advantage of this opportunity. Lastly, the technological dynamic of the film reveals even more cultural differences between Sudan and the states. After traveling to the U.S., the boys learn about electricity and running water for the first time. Before their trip, one of the boys says “I have never used electricity, so I imagine it is really very hard for me to do that.” With the extreme differences in development prevalent between the U.S. and Sudan, the boys were exposed to all kinds of new technology. They learned how to use a shower, flush a toilet, and turn on lights. Also, the technology and development of the U.S. allowed some of the boys to find out if any of their family members had survived the war. John Bul was even able to locate and correspond with his mother before bringing her to the states. Had the boys remained in Sudan, it would have been virtually impossible for any of them to locate their families. I found the entire film to be enjoyable, but a few scenes really stuck out to me. First of all, the images of the starving boys in the refugee camp shown at the beginning of the documentary helped me to realize the severity of the situation. Also, later on, when John Bul is talking about how one of his jobs was to bury the dead bodies, I again was reminded of the brutal conditions that the boys had lived through. Another section of the film that also spoke to me was when the boys were describing how unfriendly the Americans were. It saddens me to think that people in our country cannot welcome others who have been through such strife and experienced immense grief. While I’m sure that not everyone in the surrounding communities knew the whole story of the boy’s experiences, in general it is greatly appreciated when strangers show kindness to other strangers. I also found it upsetting that merchants were actually filing complaints to the police about the boys, intimidated by them coming into their stores in large groups. If the storeowners had taken the time to talk to the boys or even tried to get to know them a little bit, it would have been obvious that the boys are harmless and kind-hearted. I believe that instances like this are due to the unfortunate reality that racism is still alive and well in parts of America today. The last scene that really struck me was the one that described the Sudanese boy who had gone missing for a few days. When he was finally located, it was discovered that he had suffered a breakdown and was considered to be mentally unstable. This scene was compelling to me because not only did it once again reinforce the extreme harshness of the conditions the boys had faced, but it also showed how our country is truly not the welcoming and accepting society that some people believe it is. While it upsets me enough that Americans can be rude and unfriendly, it bothers me even more to think about how unwilling most people are to help others in a crisis. This pertains not only to those in need overseas, but also to people in our own country. With the abundance of resources and wealth that we have in this country compared to others, I wish that more people would consider sharing their good fortune. Whenever I hear about a crisis, I am reminded of the words that I try to live by: live simply so others can simply live.
 * 4. What parts of the article/film did you find most persuasive, compelling, or moving? Why?**
 * 5. What parts of the article/film were you not compelled or convinced by?**

I don’t want to appear to be dodging the question, but I can honestly say that the entire film seemed very genuine to me. The boys were intuitive, intelligent, hard working and sincere. They weren’t doing anything for attention, they simply wanted to make a better life for themselves and assist their friends who were still staying at the refugee camp in Kenya.
 * 6. What possible cultural changes and points of intervention are suggested by the article/film?**

Based on what I took away from the film, I believe that the suggested points of action and intervention are not far-fetched or difficult to achieve. Basically, I feel that the film encourages people to reach out to others in need and provide assistance in any way they can. It is obvious that not everyone is indifferent when it comes to helping others. One scene in the film showed volunteers from a local church who offered to drive some of the boys to work early in the morning. These simple sacrifices are all it takes to make a huge difference. If everyone could give a little bit, the outcomes would be astounding. You don’t necessarily have to fly out to a country in need in order to make a difference. There is plenty of need close to home that could easily be quelled if more people would take initiative and do something. **7. What additional information has this article/film compelled you to seek out, or what additional questions does it raise for you?** One thing from the film that specifically interested me was the selection process that went into choosing which boys came to live in America. The film showed that only a handful of the lost boys were picked, but never explained //how// they were picked. I am curious as to whether the process was simply random, or if they were looking for specific credentials and qualifications. I am also curious to see if any other countries accepted lost boys into their borders to provide a higher quality of living. While I didn’t even consider this option originally, I realized that just because it wasn’t mentioned in the film doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. Therefore, I would like to look into whether or not any other developed countries took in lost boys to help relieve some of the suffering. Sources: 1) __Second Sudanese Civil War.__ 29 Nov 2010. Wikipedia. 13 Nov 2010. [].