focoproject.com

• Director: Ricky Stern, Anne Sundberg
• Genre: Documentary
• Year: 2007

:Though slightly misguided on its focus, precariously teetering between the atrocities taking place in Darfur and former Captain Brian Steidle, this film is nevertheless a significant and concise look at the genocide taking place on the other end of the world as I type this. Filled with powerful imagery regarding the insurgency taking place in Sudan and the furious governmental backlash it provoked, wiping entire villages, burning them to the ground, raping women, killing children…this is a documentary that is hard to ignore even if it is not the most polished of pieces and largely relies on mostly still images.

Former marine Brian Steidle, who after an injury found himself unable to go back to duty, took a job as an observer for the peace process taking place between the Northern and Southern parts of Sudan, a process that completely overlooked the Western part of the country most commonly known as Darfur. Feeling the sting of rejection, two main factions of insurgents raised from the area to attempt to claim their own rights over the land, only to have the Goverment make a cruel and meticulous sweep over the area that is considered by most the very definition of genocide.

It is unfortunately that quite a bit of time is actually spent on Steidle, rather than keeping the focus more on the material at hand, but the topic is powerful enough to be felt regardless of the flaws on the documentary itself. And in the end, it is definitely a documentary worth watching.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Notes: Disturbing content.