Posts Tagged ‘Liberia’

Straight from Sundance: Johnny Mad Dog

Friday, January 16th, 2009

From beginning to ending this film was intense, stylish, and disturbing. Jean-Stephane Sauvaire created a unique and truthful depiction of children soldiers in Africa. The film was shot in Liberia where there had been a civil from 1989 until 2003. Sauvaire went to Liberia and actually found 15 ex-children soldiers who had fought in the civil war in Liberia to act in the film as the children soldiers.

Now uneducated, impoverished and without family, these children struggle from day to day. Sauvaire gave them a chance to tell their story to the world. These children were forced into a life a death, rape, and drugs by the high ranking members of the countries rebels. The film does not forget to show the humanity of these childrenĀ still cling on to even after they haveĀ had their lives corrupted by the rebel commanders. After all of the sacrifices the children made for the cause of the rebel cause they received no reward for their duty after the war was over, leaving them completely abandoned and helpless.

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