Since 2003, over 200,000 citizens of Darfur have been murdered by the Janjaweed militia and by the Sudanese government. Two and a half million more have been displaced and suffer daily from random assaults, rape and serious health issues directly caused by the displacement and the constant threat of attack. An entire group of people have been targeted for extermination by their own government based on their ethnicity.
Readers of this review might be surprised to hear that such horrors are not the focus of the new documentary Darfur Now. The atrocities are spoken of (briefly) but not seen. Nor could the film be accurately described as a “call to action.” Instead, Darfur Now assumes that the audience already knows and cares about the crisis. This is a film about activists. We are introduced to six people who are determined to make a difference in the troubled region of Darfur, each employing a different approach.
A 24-year-old student distributes leaflets and seeks legislation against investors who support the regime financially. He hopes to use the power of democracy and commerce against the killers.
A prosecutor at The Hague gathers irrefutable evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He plans to use international law to bring the offenders to justice.
A film star (Don Cheadle, who also co-produces and narrates) uses his celebrity to get people talking about the crisis. He intends to raise public awareness of the genocide for as long as he has the attention of the media.
A grieving mother, her child murdered by the Janjaweed, joins the rebel forces. She will face the militia and the Sudanese military directly, in armed combat. We follow these and other extraordinary people as they fight like hell to save the decimated Fur, Zaghawa and Massaleit tribes from extermination. The activists are easy to identify with, and their various triumphs, disappointments and doubts will be shared by the audience. The doubts are particularly painful, as the problem sometimes seems too big to comprehend, let alone solve. The bereaved rebel plainly states that she doesn't believe that armed resistance will change anything, and the prosecutor's dismay over the speed of his progress is heartbreaking. Nevertheless, each subject is celebrated for the simple fact that they are doing all they can. No matter the challenges, they have not succumbed to apathy or despair.
