Sudan in Crisis

Originally broadcast on ABC's Nightline in 2004, this 22-minute documentary on the Darfur crisis is—not surprisingly—already dated. Still, despite the spiraling events and the too-short running time (how do you cover the genocide of thousands in less than a half-hour?), the film provides a succinct understanding of the complex racial and ethnic roots of the situation. Location shooting at refugee camps offers a glimpse of the unimaginable human tragedy as international relief agencies struggle to shelter, feed, and protect the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons who fled Darfur with nothing but the clothes on their back. Conspicuously absent from the proceedings is a White House response—obviously fearing a reprise of the Somalia debacle that marked the Clinton administration's foreign policy efforts, President Bush and his advisors seemed determined to avoid any public discussion of the subject, let alone commit to military intervention. The fact the crisis in Sudan has only worsened in the two years since this was first broadcast is a blight on the international community for allowing genocide to proceed unabated in the 21st century. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)