An interesting if fairly conventional documentary, Lost Boys of Sudan follows a year in the lives of a group of young men from the Dinka tribe brought to the United States after being rescued by a relief agency from the African refugee camp where they had fled to escape civil war in their native Sudan. Dramatically illustrating how unrealistic the boys' expectations of America are, the narrative focuses on two of the youngsters, Santino and Peter. The latter moves from Houston (the group's initial home) to Kansas City, where he earns a high school diploma while holding down a job; the former remains in Texas, where he finds work in a plastics factory but gets into trouble with the law when he's arrested for driving without a license. Although the film lacks a solid resolution (ending somewhat abruptly after one year), there is footage of a reunion of “lost boys” from across the country, providing some sense of closure. Lost Boys of Sudan is essentially another version of the American immigrant experience, recounting the difficulties of assimilation while holding out an uplifting message of hope. But while familiar, this homely, unaffected, low-budget-shot tale, still carries considerable impact. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by filmmakers Jon Shenk and Megan Mylan, a 13-minute interview with Shenk and Mylan, two deleted scenes (7 min.), text “Where Are They Now” updates for main characters Santino and Peter, audio clips of traditional and contemporary Dinka music, text filmmaker bios, a weblink, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a solid documentary.] (F. Swietek)
Lost Boys of Sudan
New Video, 87 min., in English, Arabic, Dinka & Swahili w/English subtitles, not rated, VHS: $39.95, DVD: $26.95, Oct. 26 Volume 19, Issue 6
Lost Boys of Sudan
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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