Review of War Dance (2007) by Bill V — 26 Jun 2010

â??War/Dance,â?? is a very good documentary. It is visually very appealing as is the story. We follow a group of schoolchildren from the Patongo school in northern Uganda to a national music competition. The story also involves the rather discomforting backdrop of unimaginable suffering taking place in northern Uganda. The directors of this film had their hands full on how to present hope against human savagery and still make it attractive to an audience.

The directors, Sean and Andrea Fine, do this in two ways. One was not to show any of the atrocities and the second was to have the children tell their stories of the atrocities they witnessed and in some cases committed against their wills. With the children telling their stories, I had the feeling at times they rehearsed and may have been coached. This contributed to an occasional sense (on my part) of being manipulated by the directors.

When the children reach Kampala for the competition, the film doe a good job communicating the excitement. Some really good performances are shown and the suspense is maintained. The whole time you watch the competition and see the childrensâ?? desire to show their stuff, there is this disquiet. It is knowing these kids will be going back to living their lives in fear and being refugees in their own land. Music gave them peace even for a moment and it is a bright spot on an otherwise dark existence.

Well shot and a good story. Overall, I liked the film and it gave me a view into something we hear very little about or even know about or choose to ignore in our part of the world.