Mommy Brain

(War Dance was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of this feature.)

The superb documentary War/Dance reveals the redemptive power of music, even in the most horrific places. Focusing on three children in their early teens in war-torn Uganda–stoic Nancy, driven Dominic, and soft-spoken Rose–War/Dance tracks the efforts of the school of a refugee camp called Patongo to compete in Uganda’s countrywide music competition. The contrasts are staggering; in interviews, the children describe their parents being killed by rebel soldiers, then footage of rehearsal shows them joyfully singing and dancing with their classmates. Some of the sequences are harrowing (a scene where Nancy grieves for her murdered father is painful to watch), but without them, we wouldn’t understand how hard-won are the feelings of pride and accomplishment as their school performs for the competition’s judges. The built-in structure of the competition gives this documentary a clear and engrossing storyline, much like Spellbound or Mad Hot Ballroom, but the heartbreaking circumstances and the emotional openness of the three teenagers makes War/Dance even more compelling. In one particularly striking scene, Dominic talks to a captured rebel officer, hoping to learn if his brother is still alive. As they talk, the soldier–who’s around the age Dominic’s brother might be–tries to be helpful, and explains almost offhandedly why the brother is most likely dead. The casualness of this conversation, devoid of Hollywood histrionics, speaks volumes about how violence has infiltrated these people’s daily lives.

I was recently sent two documentaries that both look absolutely fascinating, but that I haven’t found time to watch yet. I didn’t want to miss giving these films a plug here. The Academy Award nominated documentary War Dance is available on DVD now. It is rated PG-13.

I will post an actual review after I get a chance to watch it. I’m pretty sure it will be fantastic, since every review on Amazon is 5 stars. You can find out more about the dance troupe at the Shine Global web site, where you can also purchase the DVD.