LOST BOYS OF SUDAN

Lost Boys of Sudan is a documentary film that was seen on PBS. This is a feature length film and was created in 2003. The movie follows two young Sudanese boys who were forced to flee their country of Sudan and live in a refugee camp. Their families had been separated and the young boys, thousands of them, made a 1500 mile trek across wastelands and against all odds to save their own lives. Sadly, many of them died along the way due to the harsh conditions, little food, and little water.

Some of the boys were eventually sponsored to come live in the United States. This film follows these young men from Africa to this country, where they learned about life in a developed land. Many things came as a shock and surprise to them, but as they acclimated to Western culture, some realized they still had to retain their original culture as well and set about to hold a reunion for those Sudanese boys who came here.

Not all the boys did well here. Some just never were able to adjust, or they adjusted too well and became so Americanized they began losing their own history. They all learned that to make it here meant getting jobs and paying bills. They were also required to pay the US government back for their plane tickets here and their start in the States.

My heart broke during parts of this film. I cannot even imagine coming from such hardship, much less having to adjust how I live to accommodate a new culture. These boys missed their companions in Africa, and their family members. Some of them lost family members in the wars that continue there, and watched them being killed.

This movie is unrated, but is worthy watching for anyone who thinks that people don't still persecute others for their culture and beliefs. These boys were Christians from Christian families, which made them targets as well.