War/Dance

Uganda is one of those countries in Africa that has been at war longer than most of it's residents have been alive. So this might have been just another documentary about Africa... the violence, the poverty, the inhumanity that just seems to ravage that continent like an airborne virus out of control. But War/Dance is a different documentary about Africa, and perhaps that is why it won so many awards including a nomination for an Oscar. War/Dance is a documentary about hope.

War/Dance tells the story of three Ugandan children and their remarkable journey from the Patongo refugee camp to the National Music Competition - where 20,000 schools compete to be the best of the best in music and dance. We meet Rose, Dominic and Nancy - all teenagers who have never known a life without war - all with a tragic story to tell of lost childhood and violence - and all with a passion for making music. As the kids prepare for the music festival, without instruments, without uniforms and costumes, the real underdogs going into the competition, their individual stories unfold. These stories may break your heart, but the kids will bring new meaning to the term "survivor."

Directors Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine made a documentary of amazing beauty; the cinematography and editing give a dreamy quality to the film that is hard to resist. The music is breathtaking. But the kids... well, what is there to say. I cried. But it will leave you in awe of the human spirit. See the excellent website here.