Movie review: 'Darfur Now'

Don Cheadle in "Darfur Now" (Credit: Samantha Casolan/Warner Independent)

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4 stars (out of four)

It’s a modern-day holocaust, say the people in front of and behind the camera in “Darfur Now,” and no one seems to want to do anything about it.

The documentary paints a vivid picture of the grim reality in Sudan’s western region, as seen though the eyes of six people dedicated to ending the humanitarian catastrophe that began in 2003 as a clash between rebels and the Sudanese government over inequitable allocation of resources. It’s estimated that 200,000 have died as a result of the violence, hunger and disease unleashed thereafter.  This well-done film is a call to arms, featuring six people of varied backgrounds—a college student, a prosecutor from the Hague, an Oscar-nominated actor, a United Nations humanitarian, a Darfurian woman who has joined the fight and a community leader in a West Darfur refugee camp—all determined to do their part to alleviate the suffering. All of their stories are heartwarming, and some are well known: Don Cheadle (one of the film’s producers) and George Clooney use their celebrity to intervene in an international crisis.

All of the six resonate and are relatable, but there are two standouts: Hejewa Adam, a mother-turned-soldier, and 20-something Adam Sterling, a UCLA college grad whose grandmother is a survivor of the Nazi holocaust. It’s alarming, Sterling asserts, that a modern-day holocaust is happening with so little attention paid. Sterling transforms from being someone who ignored street activists, those handing out flyers and collecting signatures, to becoming one of them, pleading with people in Los Angeles to take notice. Ultimately, he gets Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill that will keep California’s state funds out of Sudan.

Adam speaks with calmed hurt about the horror of her situation: Her 3-month-old son was beaten to death by Janjaweed militias and government forces as he was carried on her back. That horror inspires her to join up with the rebel forces, a large gun positioned across her lap, and talk about her story and her commitment to bringing peace back to Sudan.
This is the kind of film that doesn’t end after the credits roll, and it’s a gold-star example for what a documentary should do: inspire.

klcarter@tribune.com

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