I arrived at the University of Alabama's Ferguson Center around 7pm, went to the movie theater where the showing was, and walked in and sat down to hear the speech in progress.With bright lights surrounding the dark figure at the front of the auditorium, I quickly gathered that this mysterious man was from an African country.His English was easy to understand despite English being his "2nd Language" (I'll explain later) and the story he told was a tragic one about his native country of Sudan.
His country was ravaged by the Second Sudanese War, in which most of the people he cared for had been killed or scattered throughout the nearby lands. Some of the lucky Dinka and Nuer (ethnic groups from Sudan) were saved from the war by the U.S. government.
The introduction to the "Lost Boys of Sudan" documentary.
The U.S. government took 3800 of these "Lost Boys of Sudan" and helped them get established into American lifestyle. Giving them a place to stay, money for a few months to live on, and also helped them look for jobs.
The director's focus of the documentary was obviously to showcase the cultural differences between Sudan and America. The shock these Lost Boys encounter when they first saw a refrigerator, an electric stove, and even television was quite amusing. However, some differences that are less apparent are also showcased.
In one instance, the Lost Boys are in their apartment and explain how their affectionate displays of love towards one another must be kept to a minimum in american public. This small detail of life is one of the numerous aspects that the Lost Boys must change, and in doing so, the movie is ultimately a story of how these men must become accustomed to American ways of life.
For anyone interested in cultural differences or just interested in learning of other cultures, I really recommend viewing this movie. It will keep you interested in these boys throughout the entire movie experience.
Check out the movie here : http://www.lostboysfilm.com/
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