Lifestories: The Lost Boys of Sudan

Lifestories: The Lost Boys of Sudan is a short documentary that explores the lives of eight Sudanese refugees. Displaced from their homes in the late 1980s due to a brutal civil war, the youngest boys were forced to flee alone. Pitted against an Arab Militia, wild animals, starvation, and thirst the boys survived a trek of 1,000 miles and twelve years in refugee camps before coming to the United States. Enduring such unimaginable hardships left them with many stories to tell. It is an under-reported and forgotten tale of survival and brotherhood. Directed by Jared D. Martin at the age of 14.

Purpose of the Film

The film was created to aid the Lost Boys of Sudan in telling their story to the masses. The boys arrived in the United States eager to assimilate into society, but soon found out that the task would not be entirely possible until people understood their heroic story. The film follows several Lost Boys as they recount their INCredible journeys across the Sahara Desert and subsequent arrival at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. The film is aimed at bringing forth a complete comprehension and appreciation of the lives of the Lost Boys and helping attract an audience to a story that many know little AbOUT.

While other documentaries about the Lost Boys of Sudan exist, Lifestories: The Lost Boys of Sudan is the only one to focus solely on the lives of the boys as they walked. It seeks to travel along with the boys as they walk, setting aside the lives of the Lost Boys once they reached the United States.

Screenings

The film screened at ten film festivals including the Wine Country Film Festival, Santa Cruz Film Festival, Sacramento Film and Music Festival, National Film Festival for Talented Youth and Big Bear Lake International Film Festival. In addition to screening only at festivals, the film has been and is still being shown thanks in part to Father Jerry Drino, executive director of Hope With Sudan. The film has also screened at several Northern California colleges including UC Davis and American River College. As of April 2011, the film is working towards distribution and is still being shown to peace and anti-[...] groups across California.

Release Dates

July 31, 2008 - West Hollywood International Film Festival

August 2, 2008 - Wine Country Film Festival

August 17, 2008 - Sacramento Film and Music Festival

August 30, 2008 - Moondance International Film Festival

September 13, 2008 - Big Bear Lake International Film Festival

November 14, 2008 - Poppy Jasper Film Festival

February 24, 2009 - Omaha Film Festival

April 6, 2009 - Davis Film Festival

April 25, 2009 - National Film Festival for Talented Youth

May 14, 2009 - Santa Cruz International Film Festival

Awards

The film won four awards in all including:

  • Columbine Award at the Moondance International Film Festival for short documentary (2008). This award is given to works which reflect non-violent conflict resolution, alternatives to violence, or show why violent resolution to conflict is counter-productive.
  • Audience Favorite Award at the Moondance International Film Festival for short documentary (2008). This award is based on audience votes.
  • Student Documentary Audience Award at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival (2008). This award is based on audience votes.
  • Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival (2008). Awarded to films and filmmakers of a young age who make films that an average person of their demographic would not normally attempt. An award created in response to Lifestories: The Lost Boys of Sudan, co-director of the Sacramento Film and Music Festival Tony Sheppard is quoted as saying: "So good and so promising, we created a new award category: Emerging Filmmaker!" The Emerging Filmmaker Award has been added to the lineup of honors presented at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival each year.

Fun Facts

  • A total of 11 hours of footage was shot for the documentary in 2004. The 11 hours was edited down to 42 minutes of "usable" footage in 2006. That 42 minutes was then edited down to the final length of 13 minutes in 2008.
  • Director Jared Martin was only 14 years old at the time of filming, in 2004.
  • Prior to Lifestories, director Jared Martin had no experience in documentary filmmaking.
  • Due to loud background noise caused by an air conditioner, several InterViews were rendered useless and beyond repair in post-production. To combat the situation, a small Canon handheld camcorder was used to record audio only. Over eighty percent of the interviews were saved thanks to this technique.
  • During a tense part of the film, you can hear someone in the kitchen cooking dinner, signified by a large "clank" noise.
  • The film was originally intended to be a feature film. However, after reviewing the footage, making initial rough cuts, and several years of procrastination, the film was finally edited down from 42 minutes to 13 minutes in April 2008.
  • Lifestories screened alongside Munyurangabo, a feature film directed by Independent Spirit Award nominee Lee Isaac Chung.

Technical Specs

Total Running Time: 13 min

Color/B&W: color

Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Letterbox

Camera: Sony DCR-VX2100, Canon Handy Cam

Media: MiniDV

Output: DVD, VHS, BetaSP, and MiniDV

Language: English with English Subtitles

Editing Platform: Final Cut Studio 2

Shooting Locations: Lincoln, Nebraska; Nairobi, Kenya

What You Can Do to Help

Visit www.hopewithsudan.org to become ACTIVE. It is the largest Sudan-aid group in the world, and they are always looking for volunteers.

See also

  • Lost Boys of Sudan (film)
  • God Grew Tired of Us
  • They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky
  • Munyurangabo
  • www.familiarvoicesmovie.com
  • www.facebook.com/lifestoriesfilm