God Grew Tired of Us Reviews

• fine, powerful and informative documentary loaded with emotion

  
  By A2R6RA8FRBS608 on 2008-06-13
  God Grew Tired Of Us gives us a sensitive, human portrayal of the incredible strife the people of southern Sudan endured as they fled northern Sudanese troops entering their villages and killing their people. The footage of the Sudanese conflict does not pull any punches--it is quite graphic and I was truly upset by the needless suffering so many countless people faced. The characters in the United Nations refugee camp are easy to empathize with; and the plot of the documentary unfolds at a good pace that held my interest every step of the way. This is an outstanding documentary about a very long war in Sudan that received not enough attention from the United States and other world powers.
  
  The documentary starts off showing the footage of the conflict and then we soon zone into a United Nations refugee camp in Kenya. It is touching to see these young men, now referred to as "the lost boys of Sudan" because they had nothing and no families left, forming makeshift families with deep interpersonal bonds. These young men also dream of finding their relatives who they lost when they had to flee their Sudanese villages very abruptly. Specifically, we meet three young men: Panther, John and Daniel. These young men are selected to live new lives in the USA; and the documentary follows them as they journey to America. We see them use an electric light switch for the very first time and they marvel at the ability of a refrigerator to keep food cold or even frozen. They need to be told how to use the restroom instead of a latrine and they receive much kindness and patience from the charities that help them acclimate to life in America.
  
  Over time (this documentary covers a period of a little more than three years), we see them start to thrive. They can get jobs, go to school, buy cars--but they do complain that juggling all those jobs can be rough! However, they never seem to feel sorry for themselves; rather they display enormous personal strength and I truly admire John, Panther and Daniel.
  
  In addition, with the passage of time the three young men begin to experience ever increasing separation anxiety from their homeland and those they left behind. It moved me greatly to see these young men sending so much money back to the refugee camp in Kenya so that the refugees there could have a better quality of life. One young man, John, finds his parents and his determination to help them financially when they can't even afford clothing is truly exemplary. The moment when he is reunited with his mother at an airport in America after at least twelve years of separation is one of the most emotional I've ever witnessed.
  
  The DVD extras include a commentary and there's a very well done "making of" featurette as well.
  
  Overall, I highly recommend this well done documentary. It greatly enhanced my understanding of the Sudanese War and on a human level it is very moving indeed.
  
  
  

• Footprints of an Exodus

  
  By A3EE0H0NWQ9QVL on 2007-08-19
  The American experience takes on a whole new meaning when it is embraced by another culture. If necessity is the mother of invention, then America is the modern inventor of the immigrant nation with open arms. Immigrants have fled their countries out of want and persecution for nearly two centuries. What makes `God Grew Tired of Us' so captivating is that it traces the footsteps of refugees fleeing war, poverty, and persecution ravaging Sudan since 1983. Due to the keen editing of Johanna Giebelhaar and Geoffrey Richman, this nearly flawlessly paced documentary zeroes in on three male refugees who make their way to America and find a bewilderingly different life. ("The good-hearted people of America asked us to be there.")
  
  Using footage of the aftermath of the civil war between northern Muslim Arabs and the beleaguered southern Christians, we are shown long lines of refugees taking what little they have to Kenya where ghostly, emaciated figures wait warily in new lines for relief. Displacement adds to their anxiety as relatives become unaccounted for. Always concretely laying down the foundation of history, the film unflinchingly gives one a front seat to their predicament.
  
  Enter Daniel Abol Pach, Panther Bior, and John Bul Dau. They are the movie's central focus. Like a few others, they are invited to the United States and offered the amenities of an apartment, a chance at employment, and the perks of our material benefits. Daniel and Panther live in Pittsburgh; John lives in Syracuse. It is a fascinating culture shock, one that shows their innocence in the face of our technology and their resolute determination to retain their culture. (As one example we see almost quiet awe as their guide explains indoor plumbing.) Always taking steps forward in opportunity, we see them work, experience bigotry, and come to terms with our way of life. ("America is a very strange place...[but] if you can manage, it`s a land of opportunity." --John Bul Dau)
  
  While they thrive materially, they also experience separation anxiety. Much of the time is spent showing their efforts to improve conditions for their relatives and countryman of Kenya. Interviewing each man at key times is at the core of the movie. Each man is articulate about his anxieties and aspirations throughout. Visually the men's testimony is backed up by footage that is poignantly presented.
  
  Writer/Director Christopher Quin has assembled a flowing presentation that lives up to `The National Geographic' name. 'God Grew Tired of Us' is profoundly titled for John's reflection of the Armageddon qualities of their native plight while he buried the dead at the tender age of ten. It is also our ticket to a broader horizon and better understanding. (Nicole Kidman narrates.) Fascinating.
  
  
  

• a must-see documentary

  
  By A19ZXK9HHVRV1X on 2007-12-30
  ****1/2
  
  If nothing else, watching "God Grew Tired of Us" will make Westerners realize just how much they take for granted in their daily lives. For this is a wonderful and deeply moving documentary about three young men from Africa and their first, awe-inspiring encounter with the modern world.
  
  John, Daniel and Panther are refugees who fled Sudan when war and genocide ravaged that once-beautiful country in the 1980`s. They were part of a group of young boys who made an arduous and, for many, deadly trek from Southern Sudan to a refugee camp in Northern Kenya (those who survived the journey became known as "The Lost Boys of Sudan"). After living many years in substandard conditions at that site, 3,600 of the young men were given the opportunity to leave Kenya and start a new life in the United States. John, Daniel and Panther were three of those individuals.
  
  As written and directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn (and narrated by Nicole Kidman), "God Grew Tired of Us" begins in despair, relating a heartbreaking tale of harrowing mass murder and deadly privation, and ends in hope, showing how one changed life can positively affect the lives of so many others the world over. For even though it vividly points out the bold line separating the haves from the have-nots in this world, the film also provides a great deal of optimism and humor, as the three young men explore the technological marvels of the strange new land in which they find themselves living: food that comes prepackaged from a freezer, staircases that move up and down seemingly of their own accord, hot and cold water that comes flowing out of a tap, light that appears at the command of a switch. One of the boys even admits to never having "seen" electricity before moving to America, and he worries over whether he will ever be able to master its use. But all is not roses and soft mattresses for the three men when they arrive in the U.S., for they must also work hard, establish themselves as members of their communities, and adjust to some of the "peculiarities" of American culture, such as a marked tendency towards suspicion and a lack of friendliness on the part of some of the people they meet. And, as with virtually all people who move to an alien yet economically advantaged society, they must cope not only with the loss of deeply-ingrained cultural traditions but a feeling of guilt for those they've left behind.
  
  Yet, thanks to John, Daniel and Panther, "God Grew Tired of Us" becomes much more than a mere curiosity, a mere fish-out-of-water tale for the amusement of the Western elite. Through lengthy interviews, the three men provide a rich and thoughtful commentary on their lives, their experiences, their values, their goals and their aspirations. And though they struggle mightily with the psychic scars left by the traumas of their past, through their own inner strength and commitment - and never a hint of self-pity - they not only persevere to go on and make something of their own lives, but they are able to turn their personal tragedy into a force for Good, inspiring others in their neighborhoods to join them in raising America's consciousness about the atrocities still occurring in that corner of the globe. And when, after three years in America, two of them are already making plans to go back to their homeland in the hope of bringing positive change to the region, we come to understand just how powerful a force commitment and caring can be in this world.
  
  After immersing yourself in "God Grew Tired of Us," you may never look at your own life - or the place you occupy in the world - in quite the same way again.
  
  By all means, don't miss this one.
  
  

• Its all about pespective

  
  By A6AGN1U1BDB0V on 2007-09-10
  I picked up this movie as an after thought at a video store. To be honest I thought it was going to be a regular movie and was disappointed when I realized that it was a documentary. But all of that changed after a couple of minutes of listening to these remarkable boys/men. A very good friend of mine said that the best way to appreciate your country is to leave it for a while.
  
  In this case we get the perspective of those that have never been here and come from such a tragic history. It really brings perspective to yourself.
  
  One thing that stuck in my mind was a lady's question to one of the men at a community pool. She asked him if he noticed that he had more "freedom" here than there. I think in America we are somewhat ignorant of what goes on "out there". Not everything is about "freedom" like freedom of speech or fear of being wrongly prosecuted, or freedom of religion. That is true with respect to communism or dictatorships. These boys may have had greater "freedom" of opportunity, but they were not persecuted while living in Kenya. Yet most Americans must think that everything out there is about freedom and it is not. Most freedom people seek is freedom from poverty yet I bet you that is not what she meant.
  
  That is not a criticism on the movie however. The movie is fantastic and I highly recommend it.
  
  

• heartwrenching and ultimately uplifting

  
  By A2K09OL1W1Z9G1 on 2007-08-18
  This movie blew me away. Words cannot convey how meaningful this movie was. I will be buying copies for friends and family this Christmas. Please see it and prepare to be moved.
  
  
• Quite Moving
  By A21Y1HA1VF2JC5 on 2007-08-24
  In America we keep being informed about what type of tragedies have happened and still do, in Africa, whether because of diamonds or religious disputes. This documentary takes it much further, I think. It portrays, what is possible, on top of the past, through help of others and through ones love for his own culture. Positively educational.
  
  
• Inspiring
  By A28E8W4V5P361D on 2007-09-26
  This is a powerful and moving film. It changed my perspective on what's most important. I've waited months for it's release and am glad to finally have my own copy. I reccommend this film to anyone interested in gaining a greater awarness of serious global issues and people that are often overlooked.
  
  
• A masterpiece
  By A3SLC8F6VIWXIR on 2007-10-25
  It is the rare movie which packs a powerful message without feeling strident or preachy. The pacing, naration, filming and editing all support the revelation of the situation these young men have faced. Brilliantly done and highly thought provoking. How often do you see a film and feel that doing so has somehow made you a better, more appreciative and more helpful person?
  
  
  
• A haunting portrait of war in Sudan
  By A1N46G8TKM3ZQB on 2008-03-23
  God Grew Tired of Us is not dissimilar to POV: Lost Boys of Sudan. Lost Boys came first as a cable special, but God Grew Tired of Us is superior in almost every way. There is much more about the boys' lives in Sudan and especially their harrowing journey to the refugee camps in neighboring countries. The desert-crossing trek was a thousand miles on foot with almost no food and little water. One adolescent described his role in the long esacpe from war as almost an undertaker of sorts. He dug holes for the infants who died of malnutrition while their brothers, themselves children, carried them to a safe haven that came too late.
  
  The most inspiring aspect of the documentary is watching the young Sudanese men develop in the U.S. Despite their many psychological scars, they make the most out of each opportunity. Some work two jobs and go to school. All send money back to African refugee camps. Whereabouts of mothers and siblings are unknown. The fathers of Darfur are dead, victims of the ethnic cleansing which goes on to this very day.
  
  God Grew Tired of Us is a wake-up call to all Americans. We have done a terrible job since World War II of figuring out when to intervene in world affairs and when to keep out. Genocide, by definition, calls for immediate action. It is a travesty that the words "never again" have become hollow with the deaths of two million in Rwanda and Darfur. There are graphic images in the documentary unsuitable for children under twelve, but this is a film that needs to be shown in every school and church in America.
  
  
• Beyond inspiring
  By A124Y98LA306PQ on 2007-12-29
  I cannot believe I am the first person to review this movie. An overwhelming story of hope in spite of unbelievable sufferering, and yet full of surprising humor. I was afraid it would be dull and heart-breaking, but I was surprised at the humor especially when the boys first come to the US.
  Their perspective on the US culture is very sobering and still hopeful. Everyone should see this movie especially young people. What these men have been through is beyond inspiring. It challenges me to make the most of my opportunities.
  
  
• Documentary paints vivid picture of refugee plight
  By A32TI3U1UML4ZQ on 2008-03-05
  God Grew Tired of Us is a documentary tracing the experience of three young men -- from their war-torn Sudanese village as "lost boys" to their escape trek through hundreds of miles of dangerous terrain to their decade-long 'waiting' in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp to their resettlement in the United States.
  
  The story effectively shows the challenges facing these young men. While the US does offer opportunities, the culture here is quite different from sunlit Africa. People in the refugee camps think everyone in the US is rich and has an easy life - learning the truth can be depressing. Also, thousands of lost boys had banded together when their families were killed. They did everything together. But in the US - they are spread out across the country -- no longer close -- it can be quite lonely. Additionally, with very few Sudanese women here, the opportunity to marry and continue their culture is challenged.
  
  But, in spite of all this, the film is not depressing. These amazing young men find a way to adapt - yet be true to their heritage.
  
  
• God Grew Tired of Us
  By AT506QQWRGZLJ on 2008-02-23
  As one who lives in Syracuse and who knows a number of the Sudanese in this film, even I found this film eye opening and revealing in moving and surprising ways. It is two windows, 1) into the experience of the Lost Boys of the Sudan which puts their suffering in personal and human terms, and 2) a window into what is both wonderful and lacking in American culture, seeing it through the fresh eyes of the recently arrived Sudanese.
  
  This film is both moving and informative in powerful ways, and not to be missed. There is a reason National Geographic, Nioole Kidman and Brad Pitt came together to make this film.
  
  
• A must see for everyone!
  By A2KQ7GUPM2M0ME on 2008-02-24
  This movie is so important to see and to share. Seeing how these young men struggled just to stay alive and to keep others around them alive shows such brilliant spirit. I loved seeing them learn to live as we do; living in an apartment, sleeping in a bed, using a toilet, buying groceries, using mass transit, etc. Their willingness to work as many jobs as the day would allow them, without complaint. I don't think I can ever think of Christmas the same again. This movie changed my life and my perspective.
  
  
• God Grew Tired of Us
  By A2ZRISKQJYMKFT on 2008-03-02
  I am a Presbyterian pastor who works with several Sudanese families and was therefore curious to see this film. I find that it is very accurate based on the experiences of those families with whom I am working. It is certainly a blight on modern civilizaiton that we would allow this kind of genocide.
  
  
• Compelling, Enlightening Must-See Documentary
  By A22U0NEVLQWSBH on 2008-09-29
  Having known little about the past and current history of the civil war in Sudan, I was immensely enlightened about the struggle, pain, courage, and determination of the Lost Boys of Sudan, specifically the group of boys this film followed. This wonderfully done documentary reveals the reality these boys went through - from their journey 1000 across the desert into Ethiopia and Kenya, to their difficult adjustment and hard work in America and their road to a brighter future.
  
  This documentary is so poignant and both heartwarming and heartwrenching, and made me more appreciative of my life here in America and more aware of the horrendous experiences of others hurt by war, conflict, and poverty. And while I cried for the suffering of the Lost Boys, I also cried joyful tears for the good they achieved, and their determination, courage, and hard work of these men left me feeling hopeful - for despite the immense physical, mental, and spiritual pain they suffered, these men remained selfless, giving, kind, and never gave up.
  
  Everyone should see the movie, if for nothing else than to increase awareness about the struggles of others and our need to reach out to them.
  
  

• The Devil Came On Horseback
• POV: Lost Boys of Sudan
• God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir
• Sometimes in April
• War Dance