I just watched Children of War at the 6th Annual Artivist Film Festival in Hollywood. Going in to see the film, all I knew was it's about child soldiers in Uganda. As somebody who has seen several documentaries addressing the civilian casualties of the various war torn areas in Africa, I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong.
From the establishing shot to the end credits, I really felt like I was immersed in some sort of surreal trip into a warped world where children have experienced more terror and emotional agony than most people could possibly imagine. Unfortunately, that world exists. That said, the bright spirit within these kids really exemplifies how resilient people can become under the proper recovery conditions. The mood of the film effectively uses a very sophisticated art-house black and white look and feel. A lot of indie directors with a keen eye can become indulgent with the visual aspects and fall short on the content, but I think Bryan Single avoided that pitfall. This could easily have become one of those movies (because it's shot beautifully), but it manages to keep an even balance between art and story.
Much like the contrasting aesthetics of Children of War, what makes the terribly sad stories of these injured kids (emotionally and often physically) truly special, is their openness and willingness to share their stories with the world in hopes to help themselves and others cope and persevere. While many films of this nature have also achieved this, what made this film stand out for me is both HOW the children are being helped at this particular recovery center, and the people who are there helping them. And of course, the remarkable children themselves are riveting centerpieces of how healing and forgiveness can be achieved in the wake of tragedy. Without spoiling too many specific aspects of the movie, I'll say that the creativity of the people who work with these kids at the recovery center in Uganda, the brave subjects themselves, and the artistry that director Bryan Single implemented to help tell their stories, it all really meshes into an extremely rewarding experience. It's a truly special independent documentary in every sense of the word.
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