African Studies Media Catalog
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Africa, Africas (Videocassette : 62 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8686
Abstract: Three short segments present different facets of contemporary African life. Fantococà (23 min.) presents the cultural phenomenon of skin bleaching in Cameroon and the challenge it is now posing on notions of black pride and identity. Director: Agnès Ndibi. From The Other Side Of The River (18 min.) documents the effects of war on a community of Ethiopian women and children who were forcibly relocated into refugee camps. Director: Moji-da Abdi. Laafi Bala (20 min.) demonstrates the causes of wide-spread unemployment and poverty in Burkina Faso, where few institutional resources and government support are available, and the debilitating effects this is having on women and youth. Director: Fanta Regina Nacro
Director: Moji-da Abdi, Fanta Regina Nacro and Agnès Ndibi Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, women, gender, beauty, war, refugees, youth, poverty
All About Darfur (DVD : 82 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8064
Abstract: Up until now the perilous situation in Sudan has been seen only from outside the country. All About Darfur offers an opportunity to hear it explained by eloquent, diverse, even contradictory voices from within Sudan. The director talks to ordinary Sudanese in outdoor tea shops, markets, refugee camps and living rooms about how deeply rooted prejudices could suddenly burst into a wild fire of ethnic violence.
Director: Taghreed Elsanhouri Distributor:Taghreed Elsanhouri Productions
Keywords: Sudan, Darfur, genocide, civil war, ethnicity, politics, refugees, violence
Angola é A Nossa Terra (Videocassette : 45 min. ) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 6901
Abstract: Angolan women are rarely heard describing the impact of South Africa's undeclared war against their country. This moving documentary, produced in conjunction with the Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), highlights the contribution women make to the reconstruction of a country where war has consumed more than half the national budget and produced at least a million internal refugees.
Director: Jenny Morgan Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Angola, South Africa, war, women, history, politics
Benjamin and His Brother (DVD : 87 min. ) [2002]
DVD7071
Abstract: Tells the story of Benjamin and William Deng, two young Sudanese men who left Sudan in the mass exodus of boy refugees in 1987. This group became known as the Lost Boys, and in 2001, the U.S. government began a project to resettle them from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya to the United States. William went to Houston, Texas, and eventually was reunited with his grandmother and other relatives in Kansas City. Benjamin remained at the refugee camp and is waiting to be allowed to emigrate.
Director: Arthur Howes Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Sudan, Kakuma refugee camp, orphans, immigrants, civil war
Burden on the Land (DVD : 52 min. ) [1991]
DVD 9044
Abstract: Filmed in the face of enormous political and geographical obstacles, Burden on the Land is a comprehensive look at Africa's future as it faces the 21st century. It addresses the root causes of famine and suggests reasons why development efforts in Africa have been so disappointing. Examining the sub-Saharan countries - Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ethiopia and Uganda - the documentary clarifies the conflicts and interrelated issues of politics, health, environment, and culture. When the colonial powers left Africa, the political vacuum was filled by authoritarian regimes whose armies continue to keep them in power. Frequent tribal wars keep countless people refugees, fleeing from one nation to another. Despite the efforts of international relief agencies, the vast number of refugees have depleted the host countries of resources. The film shows that despite the overwhelming problems there are small successes that improve the quality of life - dams, food processing, reforestation, road building, irrigation, and animal husbandry. But basically, it proposes that Africa's future depends on developing an infrastructure while maintaining the integrity of village life.
Director: Roger Pyke Productions Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: famine, development, colonization, environment, health, politics, history
Casablanca (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 104 min. ) [1942]
V. DISC 703
Abstract: Rick's Cafe in Casablanca is a center for war refugees awaiting visas for America. Rick abandons his cynicism to help an old love escape the Nazis with her underground leader husband.
Director: Michael Curtiz Distributor:MGM/UA Home Video
Keywords: Morocco, feature film
Congo, Heart of Darkness (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 108 min. ) [2002]
DVD 1382
Abstract: The war in Congo is a tragedy of historic proportions, a war that has claimed more lives than all other current wars around the world. But outside of Africa, no one seems to have noticed. This 5-part series documents the scope of human suffering that the war is causing. Originally shown on Nightline; with Ted Koppel.
Director: George Murphy Distributor:ABC News Productions
Keywords: Congo, history, war, politics, refugees
Crossroads (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3801
Abstract: The location is a crossing of roads leading from Uganda into Tanzania and from Kenya via Rwanda to Zaire. Some years ago, Mama Shillingi started her 'hotelli' at the crossroads. She offered food and shelter to truck drivers. Until, in 1994, thousands of dead bodies came floating down the nearby Kagera river. Shortly thereafter, the refugees came across the border. Within a few days, half a million people had settled there. Around a hamlet of four houses, a boom town arose called Benaco.
Director: Hillie Molenaar and Joop van Wijk Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: East Africa, Rwanda, refugees, genocide, social life
Diamond Life (The) (Videocassette : 7 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8973
Abstract: The Revolutionary United Front's (RUF) attack on Freetown in January of 1999 was the culmination of a decade-long and bloody struggle between the RUF and the government of Sierra Leone. The rebel forces, bolstered by the former Sierra Leonean Army, which had turned on the government, swept into the city, killing, mutilating, and raping thousands in the continuing war over the control of the country's rich diamond fields. RUF units burned houses with civilians inside, shot and raped people at random, killing an estimated 6,000 people in the span of three weeks. Since 1990, half the country's population of five million has been displaced. Today, Sierra Leone produces more refugees than any other country in Africa. The country is full of war victims, whose amputated limbs serve as living testimony to the brutality of the rebels. The Diamond Life provides a disturbing glimpse into the greed and violence that fuels the Sierra Leone region's brutal diamond war.
Director: Stephen Marshall, Josh Shore Distributor:Witness
Keywords: Sierra Leone, civil war, violence, politics, history, refugees
Exodus from Africa (Videocassette : 57 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7199
Abstract: Sorious Samura, himself a refugee from Africa, tells the story of the plight of Africans coming to Europe illegally. For many, the risk of staying in Africa is greater than the risk of escaping to Europe. Hosted by Leon Harris.
Director: Ruth Burnett, Richard Fabb Distributor:Multivision Media Monitoring
Keywords: Europe, Africa, migration, diaspora, refugees
Going Home (Videocassette : 31 min. ) [1999]
V.CASS. VHS 8931
Abstract: Mohammed is 10 years old, but for most of 1997 he was forced to act as a young fighter with rebel forces in the forests of Sierra Leone. His duties included carrying heavy equipment, acting as a personal servant to other soldiers, and torturing and disciplining any of the other child soldiers who stepped out of line. Eventually he escaped to Guinea, where he is one of thousands lining up to register at the Gueckedou refugee camp. In 1997 Guinea was host to an estimated 430,000 refugees: 190,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 240,000 Liberians who had escaped the eight-year civil wars there. This film evaluates the success of the Guinean government and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in protecting the rights pledged this huge African refugee population under the OAU Convention.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Guinea (Conakry), Liberia, Sierra Leone, civil war, violence, youth, refugees, UN
Great Wonder (A): Lost Children of Sudan (DVD : 61 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7676
Abstract: More than 2 million Sudanese have died in the longest uninterrupted civil war in the world, now in its 20th year. Another 5 million civilians have fled their homes to escape the fighting. A Great Wonder traces the extraordinary journey of three young Sudanese orphans, a fraction of the 17,000 so-called 'Lost Boys' of Sudan, who have spent the majority of their lives either in flight from war or in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Having navigated the hazards of warfare, disease and starvation, their arrival and resettlement in Seattle, Washington is not your average immigration story. Over the course of 18 months, these youths have recorded their own experiences through their own eyes and in their own words using digital video cameras. The resulting diaries serve as a personal thread throughout the film, incorporating first-hand accounts of their experiences in war with their radically different lives as immigrants in America. A story of survival in its most elemental form, A Great Wonder explores the concepts of loss, faith, community and freedom as it bears witness to the spirit that drives these young people to rebuild their lives.
Director: Kim Shelton Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Sudan, refugees, immigrants, children, war, resettlement
Heart of the Congo (DVD : 57 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7637
Abstract: Amid threats of violence, corruption, and a legacy of colonial dependency, aid workers in the Congo help refugees who have lost everything. They seek to strengthen villagers' will, essential for a self-sufficient future. Heart of the Congo is a film about courage, perseverance and ways in which humanitarian aid makes a lasting difference.
Director: Tom Weidlinger Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Congo, refugees, humanitarian assistance, colonialism
In the Name of God: Changing attitudes Towards Mutilation (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9189
Abstract: Ethiopian women who refuse to be circumcised are called 'filthy dog.' There is a whole mythology going back thousands of years that such women are repulsive and unmarriageable. Even today, over 115 million women's genitals are mutilated by razors, scissors or even more primitive and painful methods. Twenty-five nations in Africa, in parts of Asia, and in Arabic countries maintain this practice and through refugees it is being performed in Europe and the U.S. On the bright side, there are small inroads being made. This film takes us to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, one of the few places giving medical care to victims of infibulation. Here, recovered patients are even trained to assist doctors in repairing the damages to other women. An increasing number of Ethiopian women have started to protest against these ancient traditions, even giving out information in schools. But change will not happen overnight.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ethiopia, education, female circumcision, infibulation, social condition, women
In the Wake of War (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8988
Abstract: Philippe Mvuyekure has spent the last five years living in a refugee camp in Tanzania. Now, he's on his way home. He's among thousands of refugees convinced that the bitter, 10-year civil war that decimated his homeland of Burundi may be coming to an end. The civil war here between Hutu rebels and the Tutsi-dominated army uprooted over a million people and killed more than 300,000. But the benefits of a peace process are finally beginning to emerge. Using traditional mediation systems and peacemakers, Burundi is introducing innovative peace and reconciliation projects. The aim is to start a grass roots movement to bring a lasting peace to Burundi and its long-suffering citizens. This program examines the future for Burundi, for power sharing and for a rapprochement between warring factions.
Director: James Heer Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Tanzania, Burundi, Hutu, Tutsi, war, refugees, conflict resolution, politics
Living With Hunger (DVD : 50 min. ) [2004]
DVD 8602
Abstract: In an unprecedented mission, Sorious Samura moves into a remote village in Ethiopia. Between August and September 2003 Sorious lived in a hut and survived on the same meagre diet as the rest of the villagers. As well as this remarkable film, the DVD includes specially commissioned interviews with Sorious Samura, the film's director, Charlotte Metcalf and the film's editor, Richard Guard. See also Living with Illegals, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor:Insight News TV
Keywords: Ethiopia, hunger, food, development, poverty
Living with AIDS (DVD : 49 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5584
Abstract: In the third of his Living with... series, Sorious Samura works as an orderly in a hospital in Zambia , where the majority of the patients are HIV positive. Confronted on a daily basis with death, he describes his workplace as being like a frontline in a war zone. The staff works under horrendous conditions where protective gloves are a luxury and shrouds for the dead are stained with the blood of previous corpses. In this film, Samura exposes the untold story of AIDS -- how poverty and the complex nature of African culture and sexuality are hampering efforts to eradicate this horrifying disease. He meets characters like Joshua and Lawson who continue to practice unprotected sex despite their HIV positive status, and Precious and Nancy, AIDS orphans who fend for themselves in a world where sex 'flesh to flesh' pays well and offers an easy short term solution. Samura also meets heroines such as Bitonda, who at sixteen is in sole charge of her dying 14 year old brother, an AIDS orphaned cousin as well as her own child. After one month, Samura is left with the realization that for the war against HIV in Africa to be won, poverty, ignorance and African sexual attitudes have to be tackled head on. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Refugees and Living with Illegals.
Director: Sorious Samura, Claudio von Planta Distributor:Insight News Television
Keywords: Zambia, children, HIV/AIDS, journalism, orphans, health, medicine
Living with Illegals (DVD : 60 min. ) [2006]
DVD 8601
Abstract: In Living with Illegals, award-winning journalist Sorious Samura becomes an illegal immigrant. His journey is epic as he travels from Morocco into Europe through Spain and France, finally crossing the English Channel to Britain. Samura wants to understand the reality of being an illegal immigrant, so he lives in the exact same conditions and experiences the same gruelling hardships as his companions. The story begins in Northern Morocco, where hundreds of illegal immigrants live in forests waiting for their chance to break into the enclave of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in Africa. All that separates them from Ceuta and Europe is a 50 km, 6 m fence, around which they camp. Huddled together in cold, flimsy tents and hounded by daily police raids, the immigrants struggle to survive with no food, money or peace of mind, but their determination to reach the promised land is unyielding. Samura meets Gus and Theo who have decided to swim around the fence and thus into Europe, an extremely dangerous method of entry which many have paid for with their lives. The next day, news arrives that only Theo made it to other side. Gus was captured. Samura leaves the Moroccan forest and meets with Theo in Ceuta. Together they try to earn some money parking cars. Samura soon discovers a derelict factory known as the 'Longhouse' where those on the run from immigration authorities live. The conditions are horrifying. For these people, the dream of Europe has already turned into a nightmare. Samura travels through several cities of mainland Spain where he begs, sleeps rough, performs odd jobs and learns inside tricks to survive as an immigrant. Through a 'connection man,' Samura crosses the Spanish/ French border, and onwards by train he reaches Calais. This is the hub for all immigrants trying to enter the UK. Samura is surprised to find living conditions and scenes of desperation as bad as those in Morocco. In the end, through astonishing circumstances, both Sorious and his companion Arick do reach their final destination. It has been an incredible journey, but was all the suffering really worth it? Living with Illegals is an extraordinary documentary. Offering unprecedented access and unique insights into the world of African illegal immigration, it raises important questions about the rights of individuals to seek a better life free of poverty and war. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor:Insight News TV
Keywords: Morocco, Spain, Europe, immigration, unemployment, poverty, law, human rights
Living with Refugees (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9025
Abstract: Sorious Samura returns to Africa for one month to report on the refugee crisis in Darfur. Over 2 million people are forced into neighboring Chad, because of the brutal attacks from the militia, while thousands more have been killed. Samura chronicles the experiences of the refugees and how they must cope with an environment which does not guarantee security, food or shelter. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Illegals and Living with AIDS.
Director: Simon Atkins, Sorius Samura Distributor:Insight News Television, Limited (London)
Keywords: Sudan, Chad, Darfur, civil war, refugee crisis, humanitarian crisis, journalism, militia
Lost Boys of Sudan (DVD : 170 min. ) [2003]
DVD 4505
Abstract: Follows two Sudanese refugees on an extraordinary journey from Africa to America. Orphaned as young boys in one of Africa's cruelest civil wars, Peter Dut and Santino Chuor survived lion attacks and militia gunfire to reach a refugee camp in Kenya along with thousands of other children. From there, remarkably, they were chosen to come to America. Safe at last from physical danger and hunger, a world away from home, they find themselves confronted with the abundance and alienation of contemporary American suburbia. Disc one includes an 87-minute version of this film, disc two has a 55-minute version of the film, special features and five additional video segments.
Director: Megan Mylan Distributor:Lost Boys of Sudan
Keywords: Sudan, United States, civil war, refugees
Man Who Could Be King, The (DVD : 46 min. ) [2000]
DVD 8936
Abstract: This is the extraordinary story of a man torn between his obligation as a tribal leader and his duty to his family. Adongo Akway Cham is an Anyuak tribesman from Southern Sudan who escaped the civil war to live peacefully in Canada. No sooner had he settled in Canada when his father, the tribe's king, died, and Cham was chosen over all his brothers to be the successor. The camera follows Cham for three years as he struggles with his kingly duties and attempts to settle his family in Canada. His wife is in an Ethiopian refugee camp, burdened with caring for his eight children. She is waiting for Cham to release her from the camp and obtain entry to the safe haven that Canada represents. Cham is in conflict. 'From the beginning I have tried to say no. I don't want to take the responsibility, but who will go and take it if not me?'
Director: Edith Champagne and Nancy IngDuclos Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Sudan, Anyuak, emigration, government, refugees
Nkuleleko Means Freeedom (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1982]
VHS 9339
Abstract: The central theme of Nkuleleko Means Freedom is education with production, a system of education that combines theory with practice and is meant to develop a new 'integrated' person as well as to dignify manual labor. Back home in Zimbabwe, the former refugees, now students, have built new schools and are participating in the building of a new society.
Director: Ron Hallis Distributor:First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, education, exile, refugees, work
Rain in a Dry Land (DVD : 82 min. ) [2006]
DVD 7257
Abstract: Tale of two remarkable families, Somali Bantus who are refugees from the 1991 civil war in Somalia and find new homes in urban America. Emmy award-winning filmmaker Anne Makepeace captures the poetry, the humor, and the astonishing resilience of these new Americans as they show us our world through new eyes.
Director: Anne Makepeace Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Somalia, refugees, immigration, civil war
Refugee All Stars (The): Living Like a Refugee (CD-ROM ) [2005]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: The Refugee All Stars album Living Like a Refugee is the realization of a lifelong dream for this inspiring band of Sierra Leonean musicians who lived for nearly a decade in refugee camps in West Africa. A brutal civil war (1991-2002) forced them from their homes in Sierra Leone. Many of their family and friends were murdered in the violence, leaving them with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. Despite the unimaginable horrors of civil war, they were saved through their music. Through music, The Refugee All Stars have found refuge, purpose and a source of power by giving a voice to the experiences of so many struggling to survive. Each song on Living Like a Refugee is an original composition written during their years in exile in the refugee camps. The powerful lyrics speak to the suffering and injustice they have seen but also reverberate with hopeful optimistic rhythms. The Refugee All Stars are the subject of a soon-to-be released documentary film that chronicles the band over three years, from refugee camps in Guinea back to war-ravaged Sierra Leone. The Refugee All Stars film reveals unique and inspiring personal stories of survival and rebirth through the universal language of music. As violent conflicts multiply around the globe the worldwide refugee crisis deepens. The story of The Refugee All Stars puts a human face, gives names and real experience to the innocent survivors of war whose brutal realities are often dismissed by mainstream media soundbites. Their music is available on CD 16583.
Director: NA Distributor:cdbaby.com
Keywords: Sierra Leone, popular music, refugees
Returning Dreams (DVD : 23 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7910
Abstract: Fourteen-year old Jemoh fled from Liberia when she was 11 and has been living in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone for the last three years. Now she is about to join one of the first and biggest UNHCR convoys to return to Liberia for three years. This Life program follows Jemoh's long journey home and the mixed picture she finds when she gets there. Jemoh's just one of the millions of children caught up in the world's conflicts. Some are forced to fight and kill; others are used as slaves and 'wives.' Those that survive are left brutalized and traumatized. How, the program asks, do you rehabilitate children who have gone through these kinds of experiences? To mark the 15th anniversary of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, Life returns to Sierra Leone and Liberia, to assess the fate of children caught up in their recent civil war.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor:NA
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Liberia, refugees, children's rights, civil war, youth
Sidet: Forced Exile (Videocassette : 60 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4104
Abstract: Presents the stories of three Ethiopian women who each sought refuge in the Sudan. Tells how they have managed to survive displacement and create lives for themselves in exile.
Director: Salem Mekuria Distributor:Mekuria Productions
Keywords: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, women, refugees, social life
Spectre of Hope (The) (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [2000]
V. CASS VHS 8159
Abstract: Noted Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado and art critic John Berger pore over Salgado's photographic collection Migrations, six years and 43 countries in the making (ranging across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America). Migrations contains photographs of people pushed from their homes and traditions to cities and their margins -- slums and refugee camps. Here their intimate conversation, intercut with photographs from Migrations, combines a discussion of Salgado's work with their critique of globalization, creating a wide-ranging investigation of the power of the image. With Sebastiao Salgado and John Berger.
Director: Paul Carlin Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: refugees, land, dislocation, poverty, globalization, photography, Sebastiao Salgado, John Berger
Tree of Our Forefathers, The (DVD : 53 min. ) [1994]
DVD 9405
Abstract: Follows a refugee family who has spent 10 years living in a refugee camp in Malawi as they make the return journey to their homeland in the Tete Province of Mozambique where they at last can pay proper respects to their dead under the village tree. During the 15-year civil war in Mozambique, one and a half million people fled to seek refuge in neighboring countries. There was no time for ceremonial leave-taking, no time to pay the proper respects to the dead. But in 1993, with the war finally over, the refugees began to return home. Licinio Azevedo's moving documentary is the story of one family's long journey back to seek the forefathers' atonement under the village tree. The film follows Alexandre Ferrao and his extended family as they toil home across a land emptied of people and littered with the twisted scrapmetal of warfare. At night, around the camp fire, the family recounts their experiences of the years in exile and their fears for what they might find when they finally reach home.
Director: Licinio Azevedo Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Mozambique, refugees, emigration, immigration, funeral rites, ceremonies, civil war
War in Congo (DVD : 40 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8038
Abstract: Presents two stories about the struggle in Congo, capturing first a decade of crises including the Tutsi genocide in neighboring Rwanda, the resulting flood of refugees, the irreparable damage to Congo's wildlife, and the depredations against native Congolese and Rwandan refugees by Rwandan Hutu raiders and others. Following this, the focus narrows to the town of Shabunda, where a Catholic priest attempts to help his traumatized flock deal with the rape and murder it endures.
Director: hosted by Ted Koppel Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Congo, Rwanda, Tutsi, refugees, ethnic relations, environment, genocide, history
Page(s): 1
Africa, Africas (Videocassette : 62 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8686
Abstract: Three short segments present different facets of contemporary African life. Fantococà (23 min.) presents the cultural phenomenon of skin bleaching in Cameroon and the challenge it is now posing on notions of black pride and identity. Director: Agnès Ndibi. From The Other Side Of The River (18 min.) documents the effects of war on a community of Ethiopian women and children who were forcibly relocated into refugee camps. Director: Moji-da Abdi. Laafi Bala (20 min.) demonstrates the causes of wide-spread unemployment and poverty in Burkina Faso, where few institutional resources and government support are available, and the debilitating effects this is having on women and youth. Director: Fanta Regina Nacro
Director: Moji-da Abdi, Fanta Regina Nacro and Agnès Ndibi Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, women, gender, beauty, war, refugees, youth, poverty
All About Darfur (DVD : 82 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8064
Abstract: Up until now the perilous situation in Sudan has been seen only from outside the country. All About Darfur offers an opportunity to hear it explained by eloquent, diverse, even contradictory voices from within Sudan. The director talks to ordinary Sudanese in outdoor tea shops, markets, refugee camps and living rooms about how deeply rooted prejudices could suddenly burst into a wild fire of ethnic violence.
Director: Taghreed Elsanhouri Distributor:Taghreed Elsanhouri Productions
Keywords: Sudan, Darfur, genocide, civil war, ethnicity, politics, refugees, violence
Angola é A Nossa Terra (Videocassette : 45 min. ) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 6901
Abstract: Angolan women are rarely heard describing the impact of South Africa's undeclared war against their country. This moving documentary, produced in conjunction with the Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), highlights the contribution women make to the reconstruction of a country where war has consumed more than half the national budget and produced at least a million internal refugees.
Director: Jenny Morgan Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Angola, South Africa, war, women, history, politics
Benjamin and His Brother (DVD : 87 min. ) [2002]
DVD7071
Abstract: Tells the story of Benjamin and William Deng, two young Sudanese men who left Sudan in the mass exodus of boy refugees in 1987. This group became known as the Lost Boys, and in 2001, the U.S. government began a project to resettle them from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya to the United States. William went to Houston, Texas, and eventually was reunited with his grandmother and other relatives in Kansas City. Benjamin remained at the refugee camp and is waiting to be allowed to emigrate.
Director: Arthur Howes Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Sudan, Kakuma refugee camp, orphans, immigrants, civil war
Burden on the Land (DVD : 52 min. ) [1991]
DVD 9044
Abstract: Filmed in the face of enormous political and geographical obstacles, Burden on the Land is a comprehensive look at Africa's future as it faces the 21st century. It addresses the root causes of famine and suggests reasons why development efforts in Africa have been so disappointing. Examining the sub-Saharan countries - Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ethiopia and Uganda - the documentary clarifies the conflicts and interrelated issues of politics, health, environment, and culture. When the colonial powers left Africa, the political vacuum was filled by authoritarian regimes whose armies continue to keep them in power. Frequent tribal wars keep countless people refugees, fleeing from one nation to another. Despite the efforts of international relief agencies, the vast number of refugees have depleted the host countries of resources. The film shows that despite the overwhelming problems there are small successes that improve the quality of life - dams, food processing, reforestation, road building, irrigation, and animal husbandry. But basically, it proposes that Africa's future depends on developing an infrastructure while maintaining the integrity of village life.
Director: Roger Pyke Productions Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: famine, development, colonization, environment, health, politics, history
Casablanca (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 104 min. ) [1942]
V. DISC 703
Abstract: Rick's Cafe in Casablanca is a center for war refugees awaiting visas for America. Rick abandons his cynicism to help an old love escape the Nazis with her underground leader husband.
Director: Michael Curtiz Distributor:MGM/UA Home Video
Keywords: Morocco, feature film
Congo, Heart of Darkness (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 108 min. ) [2002]
DVD 1382
Abstract: The war in Congo is a tragedy of historic proportions, a war that has claimed more lives than all other current wars around the world. But outside of Africa, no one seems to have noticed. This 5-part series documents the scope of human suffering that the war is causing. Originally shown on Nightline; with Ted Koppel.
Director: George Murphy Distributor:ABC News Productions
Keywords: Congo, history, war, politics, refugees
Crossroads (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3801
Abstract: The location is a crossing of roads leading from Uganda into Tanzania and from Kenya via Rwanda to Zaire. Some years ago, Mama Shillingi started her 'hotelli' at the crossroads. She offered food and shelter to truck drivers. Until, in 1994, thousands of dead bodies came floating down the nearby Kagera river. Shortly thereafter, the refugees came across the border. Within a few days, half a million people had settled there. Around a hamlet of four houses, a boom town arose called Benaco.
Director: Hillie Molenaar and Joop van Wijk Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: East Africa, Rwanda, refugees, genocide, social life
Diamond Life (The) (Videocassette : 7 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8973
Abstract: The Revolutionary United Front's (RUF) attack on Freetown in January of 1999 was the culmination of a decade-long and bloody struggle between the RUF and the government of Sierra Leone. The rebel forces, bolstered by the former Sierra Leonean Army, which had turned on the government, swept into the city, killing, mutilating, and raping thousands in the continuing war over the control of the country's rich diamond fields. RUF units burned houses with civilians inside, shot and raped people at random, killing an estimated 6,000 people in the span of three weeks. Since 1990, half the country's population of five million has been displaced. Today, Sierra Leone produces more refugees than any other country in Africa. The country is full of war victims, whose amputated limbs serve as living testimony to the brutality of the rebels. The Diamond Life provides a disturbing glimpse into the greed and violence that fuels the Sierra Leone region's brutal diamond war.
Director: Stephen Marshall, Josh Shore Distributor:Witness
Keywords: Sierra Leone, civil war, violence, politics, history, refugees
Exodus from Africa (Videocassette : 57 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7199
Abstract: Sorious Samura, himself a refugee from Africa, tells the story of the plight of Africans coming to Europe illegally. For many, the risk of staying in Africa is greater than the risk of escaping to Europe. Hosted by Leon Harris.
Director: Ruth Burnett, Richard Fabb Distributor:Multivision Media Monitoring
Keywords: Europe, Africa, migration, diaspora, refugees
Going Home (Videocassette : 31 min. ) [1999]
V.CASS. VHS 8931
Abstract: Mohammed is 10 years old, but for most of 1997 he was forced to act as a young fighter with rebel forces in the forests of Sierra Leone. His duties included carrying heavy equipment, acting as a personal servant to other soldiers, and torturing and disciplining any of the other child soldiers who stepped out of line. Eventually he escaped to Guinea, where he is one of thousands lining up to register at the Gueckedou refugee camp. In 1997 Guinea was host to an estimated 430,000 refugees: 190,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 240,000 Liberians who had escaped the eight-year civil wars there. This film evaluates the success of the Guinean government and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in protecting the rights pledged this huge African refugee population under the OAU Convention.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Guinea (Conakry), Liberia, Sierra Leone, civil war, violence, youth, refugees, UN
Great Wonder (A): Lost Children of Sudan (DVD : 61 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7676
Abstract: More than 2 million Sudanese have died in the longest uninterrupted civil war in the world, now in its 20th year. Another 5 million civilians have fled their homes to escape the fighting. A Great Wonder traces the extraordinary journey of three young Sudanese orphans, a fraction of the 17,000 so-called 'Lost Boys' of Sudan, who have spent the majority of their lives either in flight from war or in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Having navigated the hazards of warfare, disease and starvation, their arrival and resettlement in Seattle, Washington is not your average immigration story. Over the course of 18 months, these youths have recorded their own experiences through their own eyes and in their own words using digital video cameras. The resulting diaries serve as a personal thread throughout the film, incorporating first-hand accounts of their experiences in war with their radically different lives as immigrants in America. A story of survival in its most elemental form, A Great Wonder explores the concepts of loss, faith, community and freedom as it bears witness to the spirit that drives these young people to rebuild their lives.
Director: Kim Shelton Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Sudan, refugees, immigrants, children, war, resettlement
Heart of the Congo (DVD : 57 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7637
Abstract: Amid threats of violence, corruption, and a legacy of colonial dependency, aid workers in the Congo help refugees who have lost everything. They seek to strengthen villagers' will, essential for a self-sufficient future. Heart of the Congo is a film about courage, perseverance and ways in which humanitarian aid makes a lasting difference.
Director: Tom Weidlinger Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Congo, refugees, humanitarian assistance, colonialism
In the Name of God: Changing attitudes Towards Mutilation (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9189
Abstract: Ethiopian women who refuse to be circumcised are called 'filthy dog.' There is a whole mythology going back thousands of years that such women are repulsive and unmarriageable. Even today, over 115 million women's genitals are mutilated by razors, scissors or even more primitive and painful methods. Twenty-five nations in Africa, in parts of Asia, and in Arabic countries maintain this practice and through refugees it is being performed in Europe and the U.S. On the bright side, there are small inroads being made. This film takes us to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, one of the few places giving medical care to victims of infibulation. Here, recovered patients are even trained to assist doctors in repairing the damages to other women. An increasing number of Ethiopian women have started to protest against these ancient traditions, even giving out information in schools. But change will not happen overnight.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ethiopia, education, female circumcision, infibulation, social condition, women
In the Wake of War (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8988
Abstract: Philippe Mvuyekure has spent the last five years living in a refugee camp in Tanzania. Now, he's on his way home. He's among thousands of refugees convinced that the bitter, 10-year civil war that decimated his homeland of Burundi may be coming to an end. The civil war here between Hutu rebels and the Tutsi-dominated army uprooted over a million people and killed more than 300,000. But the benefits of a peace process are finally beginning to emerge. Using traditional mediation systems and peacemakers, Burundi is introducing innovative peace and reconciliation projects. The aim is to start a grass roots movement to bring a lasting peace to Burundi and its long-suffering citizens. This program examines the future for Burundi, for power sharing and for a rapprochement between warring factions.
Director: James Heer Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Tanzania, Burundi, Hutu, Tutsi, war, refugees, conflict resolution, politics
Living With Hunger (DVD : 50 min. ) [2004]
DVD 8602
Abstract: In an unprecedented mission, Sorious Samura moves into a remote village in Ethiopia. Between August and September 2003 Sorious lived in a hut and survived on the same meagre diet as the rest of the villagers. As well as this remarkable film, the DVD includes specially commissioned interviews with Sorious Samura, the film's director, Charlotte Metcalf and the film's editor, Richard Guard. See also Living with Illegals, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor:Insight News TV
Keywords: Ethiopia, hunger, food, development, poverty
Living with AIDS (DVD : 49 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5584
Abstract: In the third of his Living with... series, Sorious Samura works as an orderly in a hospital in Zambia , where the majority of the patients are HIV positive. Confronted on a daily basis with death, he describes his workplace as being like a frontline in a war zone. The staff works under horrendous conditions where protective gloves are a luxury and shrouds for the dead are stained with the blood of previous corpses. In this film, Samura exposes the untold story of AIDS -- how poverty and the complex nature of African culture and sexuality are hampering efforts to eradicate this horrifying disease. He meets characters like Joshua and Lawson who continue to practice unprotected sex despite their HIV positive status, and Precious and Nancy, AIDS orphans who fend for themselves in a world where sex 'flesh to flesh' pays well and offers an easy short term solution. Samura also meets heroines such as Bitonda, who at sixteen is in sole charge of her dying 14 year old brother, an AIDS orphaned cousin as well as her own child. After one month, Samura is left with the realization that for the war against HIV in Africa to be won, poverty, ignorance and African sexual attitudes have to be tackled head on. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Refugees and Living with Illegals.
Director: Sorious Samura, Claudio von Planta Distributor:Insight News Television
Keywords: Zambia, children, HIV/AIDS, journalism, orphans, health, medicine
Living with Illegals (DVD : 60 min. ) [2006]
DVD 8601
Abstract: In Living with Illegals, award-winning journalist Sorious Samura becomes an illegal immigrant. His journey is epic as he travels from Morocco into Europe through Spain and France, finally crossing the English Channel to Britain. Samura wants to understand the reality of being an illegal immigrant, so he lives in the exact same conditions and experiences the same gruelling hardships as his companions. The story begins in Northern Morocco, where hundreds of illegal immigrants live in forests waiting for their chance to break into the enclave of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in Africa. All that separates them from Ceuta and Europe is a 50 km, 6 m fence, around which they camp. Huddled together in cold, flimsy tents and hounded by daily police raids, the immigrants struggle to survive with no food, money or peace of mind, but their determination to reach the promised land is unyielding. Samura meets Gus and Theo who have decided to swim around the fence and thus into Europe, an extremely dangerous method of entry which many have paid for with their lives. The next day, news arrives that only Theo made it to other side. Gus was captured. Samura leaves the Moroccan forest and meets with Theo in Ceuta. Together they try to earn some money parking cars. Samura soon discovers a derelict factory known as the 'Longhouse' where those on the run from immigration authorities live. The conditions are horrifying. For these people, the dream of Europe has already turned into a nightmare. Samura travels through several cities of mainland Spain where he begs, sleeps rough, performs odd jobs and learns inside tricks to survive as an immigrant. Through a 'connection man,' Samura crosses the Spanish/ French border, and onwards by train he reaches Calais. This is the hub for all immigrants trying to enter the UK. Samura is surprised to find living conditions and scenes of desperation as bad as those in Morocco. In the end, through astonishing circumstances, both Sorious and his companion Arick do reach their final destination. It has been an incredible journey, but was all the suffering really worth it? Living with Illegals is an extraordinary documentary. Offering unprecedented access and unique insights into the world of African illegal immigration, it raises important questions about the rights of individuals to seek a better life free of poverty and war. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor:Insight News TV
Keywords: Morocco, Spain, Europe, immigration, unemployment, poverty, law, human rights
Living with Refugees (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9025
Abstract: Sorious Samura returns to Africa for one month to report on the refugee crisis in Darfur. Over 2 million people are forced into neighboring Chad, because of the brutal attacks from the militia, while thousands more have been killed. Samura chronicles the experiences of the refugees and how they must cope with an environment which does not guarantee security, food or shelter. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Illegals and Living with AIDS.
Director: Simon Atkins, Sorius Samura Distributor:Insight News Television, Limited (London)
Keywords: Sudan, Chad, Darfur, civil war, refugee crisis, humanitarian crisis, journalism, militia
Lost Boys of Sudan (DVD : 170 min. ) [2003]
DVD 4505
Abstract: Follows two Sudanese refugees on an extraordinary journey from Africa to America. Orphaned as young boys in one of Africa's cruelest civil wars, Peter Dut and Santino Chuor survived lion attacks and militia gunfire to reach a refugee camp in Kenya along with thousands of other children. From there, remarkably, they were chosen to come to America. Safe at last from physical danger and hunger, a world away from home, they find themselves confronted with the abundance and alienation of contemporary American suburbia. Disc one includes an 87-minute version of this film, disc two has a 55-minute version of the film, special features and five additional video segments.
Director: Megan Mylan Distributor:Lost Boys of Sudan
Keywords: Sudan, United States, civil war, refugees
Man Who Could Be King, The (DVD : 46 min. ) [2000]
DVD 8936
Abstract: This is the extraordinary story of a man torn between his obligation as a tribal leader and his duty to his family. Adongo Akway Cham is an Anyuak tribesman from Southern Sudan who escaped the civil war to live peacefully in Canada. No sooner had he settled in Canada when his father, the tribe's king, died, and Cham was chosen over all his brothers to be the successor. The camera follows Cham for three years as he struggles with his kingly duties and attempts to settle his family in Canada. His wife is in an Ethiopian refugee camp, burdened with caring for his eight children. She is waiting for Cham to release her from the camp and obtain entry to the safe haven that Canada represents. Cham is in conflict. 'From the beginning I have tried to say no. I don't want to take the responsibility, but who will go and take it if not me?'
Director: Edith Champagne and Nancy IngDuclos Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Sudan, Anyuak, emigration, government, refugees
Nkuleleko Means Freeedom (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1982]
VHS 9339
Abstract: The central theme of Nkuleleko Means Freedom is education with production, a system of education that combines theory with practice and is meant to develop a new 'integrated' person as well as to dignify manual labor. Back home in Zimbabwe, the former refugees, now students, have built new schools and are participating in the building of a new society.
Director: Ron Hallis Distributor:First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, education, exile, refugees, work
Rain in a Dry Land (DVD : 82 min. ) [2006]
DVD 7257
Abstract: Tale of two remarkable families, Somali Bantus who are refugees from the 1991 civil war in Somalia and find new homes in urban America. Emmy award-winning filmmaker Anne Makepeace captures the poetry, the humor, and the astonishing resilience of these new Americans as they show us our world through new eyes.
Director: Anne Makepeace Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Somalia, refugees, immigration, civil war
Refugee All Stars (The): Living Like a Refugee (CD-ROM ) [2005]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: The Refugee All Stars album Living Like a Refugee is the realization of a lifelong dream for this inspiring band of Sierra Leonean musicians who lived for nearly a decade in refugee camps in West Africa. A brutal civil war (1991-2002) forced them from their homes in Sierra Leone. Many of their family and friends were murdered in the violence, leaving them with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. Despite the unimaginable horrors of civil war, they were saved through their music. Through music, The Refugee All Stars have found refuge, purpose and a source of power by giving a voice to the experiences of so many struggling to survive. Each song on Living Like a Refugee is an original composition written during their years in exile in the refugee camps. The powerful lyrics speak to the suffering and injustice they have seen but also reverberate with hopeful optimistic rhythms. The Refugee All Stars are the subject of a soon-to-be released documentary film that chronicles the band over three years, from refugee camps in Guinea back to war-ravaged Sierra Leone. The Refugee All Stars film reveals unique and inspiring personal stories of survival and rebirth through the universal language of music. As violent conflicts multiply around the globe the worldwide refugee crisis deepens. The story of The Refugee All Stars puts a human face, gives names and real experience to the innocent survivors of war whose brutal realities are often dismissed by mainstream media soundbites. Their music is available on CD 16583.
Director: NA Distributor:cdbaby.com
Keywords: Sierra Leone, popular music, refugees
Returning Dreams (DVD : 23 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7910
Abstract: Fourteen-year old Jemoh fled from Liberia when she was 11 and has been living in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone for the last three years. Now she is about to join one of the first and biggest UNHCR convoys to return to Liberia for three years. This Life program follows Jemoh's long journey home and the mixed picture she finds when she gets there. Jemoh's just one of the millions of children caught up in the world's conflicts. Some are forced to fight and kill; others are used as slaves and 'wives.' Those that survive are left brutalized and traumatized. How, the program asks, do you rehabilitate children who have gone through these kinds of experiences? To mark the 15th anniversary of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, Life returns to Sierra Leone and Liberia, to assess the fate of children caught up in their recent civil war.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor:NA
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Liberia, refugees, children's rights, civil war, youth
Sidet: Forced Exile (Videocassette : 60 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4104
Abstract: Presents the stories of three Ethiopian women who each sought refuge in the Sudan. Tells how they have managed to survive displacement and create lives for themselves in exile.
Director: Salem Mekuria Distributor:Mekuria Productions
Keywords: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, women, refugees, social life
Spectre of Hope (The) (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [2000]
V. CASS VHS 8159
Abstract: Noted Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado and art critic John Berger pore over Salgado's photographic collection Migrations, six years and 43 countries in the making (ranging across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America). Migrations contains photographs of people pushed from their homes and traditions to cities and their margins -- slums and refugee camps. Here their intimate conversation, intercut with photographs from Migrations, combines a discussion of Salgado's work with their critique of globalization, creating a wide-ranging investigation of the power of the image. With Sebastiao Salgado and John Berger.
Director: Paul Carlin Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: refugees, land, dislocation, poverty, globalization, photography, Sebastiao Salgado, John Berger
Tree of Our Forefathers, The (DVD : 53 min. ) [1994]
DVD 9405
Abstract: Follows a refugee family who has spent 10 years living in a refugee camp in Malawi as they make the return journey to their homeland in the Tete Province of Mozambique where they at last can pay proper respects to their dead under the village tree. During the 15-year civil war in Mozambique, one and a half million people fled to seek refuge in neighboring countries. There was no time for ceremonial leave-taking, no time to pay the proper respects to the dead. But in 1993, with the war finally over, the refugees began to return home. Licinio Azevedo's moving documentary is the story of one family's long journey back to seek the forefathers' atonement under the village tree. The film follows Alexandre Ferrao and his extended family as they toil home across a land emptied of people and littered with the twisted scrapmetal of warfare. At night, around the camp fire, the family recounts their experiences of the years in exile and their fears for what they might find when they finally reach home.
Director: Licinio Azevedo Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Mozambique, refugees, emigration, immigration, funeral rites, ceremonies, civil war
War in Congo (DVD : 40 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8038
Abstract: Presents two stories about the struggle in Congo, capturing first a decade of crises including the Tutsi genocide in neighboring Rwanda, the resulting flood of refugees, the irreparable damage to Congo's wildlife, and the depredations against native Congolese and Rwandan refugees by Rwandan Hutu raiders and others. Following this, the focus narrows to the town of Shabunda, where a Catholic priest attempts to help his traumatized flock deal with the rape and murder it endures.
Director: hosted by Ted Koppel Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Congo, Rwanda, Tutsi, refugees, ethnic relations, environment, genocide, history
September 16, 2008: Geoffrey Nyarota
