When I was a reporter at "The Shenandoah Valley-Herald," a weekly newspaper in Woodstock, Va., I got great insight about the devastating civil war in the West African country of Sierra Leone thanks to Cong. Frank Wolf (R-Va), who I was surprised to learn was one of the most vocal members of the Hill when it came to the issue of global human rights.
He even speaks out against China's attrocities which even the most liberal Democrats seem to overlook because of Beijing's economic influence on the world market.
Wolf visited Sierra Leone and took video footage of interviews with survivors, including an five or six-year-old girl who had her limbs cut off with a machete.
The devastating fighting in Sierra Leone which were also discussed in the Leonardo DiCaprio film "Blood Diamond" are front and center in a documentary called "The Refugee All-Stars."
The film, directed by Zach Niles and Banker White, is out on dvd. It aired on the PBS series "POV" and I became more aware of the film as the band (from the documentary) was about to perform in Rockland, Maine, when I was in that area this summer.
The Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars came together in a refugee camp in neighboring Guinea. They form their group as a reason to 'keep home alive' for their country.
They later return to Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown. The musicians said that were shocked to see what was a vibrant city so vacated.
The fighting was caused by tribal warfare which was intensified by the diamond trade.
Unlike most documentaries, the film is dominated by musical performances from the band juxtaposed against visual images of the refugee camps and the urban background of Freetown and the surrounding countryside.
The film also illustrates the human story of survival, and the fact that the band went on to perform around the world is indeed a testament to the strength of fortitude and determination when neither seems plausible.
(The film was the subject of an earlier entry in this blog).
I would also like to take this opportunity to remember another person who brought western attention to a devastating human tragedy. Photographer Dith Pran has died from cancer at age 65. He was the inspiration for the 1985 film "The Killing Fields." Pran's work helped all of us understand that awful situation with the Khmer Rouge in his native Cambodia. And, he too survived where most people of his caliber did not.
Useful Links:
http://www.sierraleonesrefugeeallstars.com
http://pbs.org/pov/sierraleone
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