Jim's 'Go or Don't Go' - God Grew Tired of Us

If you think that you've had a bad day, take a couple of hours to watch God Grew Tired of Us: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. This intriguing 2006 documentary gives you a glimpse of just how absolutely horrible this world can be, as well as the incredible resiliance of the human spirit.

In case you're not up to speed on who the Lost Boys of the Sudan are: In 1987, the Muslim government of Sudan prounced death to all males in the Christian south of the country. Nice. 27,00 young boys fled - on foot mind you - on a nightmarish 1,000 mile journey to Kenya, where 12,000 survivors eventually ended up in a United Nations camp in Kakuma.

The story picks up in 2001, with many of these boys, now young men, receiving an opportunity to be relocated to United States. Despite their hardships in Africa, we see their reluctance to leave the camp and separate themselves from the only "family" they know.

One thing that made this film unexpectedly interesting to us was that two of the three subjects in the film were placed in Pittsburgh. The other young man was sent to Syracuse, NY.

Once in the United States, they are set up in apartments and arrangements are made for getting them jobs. In the more lighthearted scenes of the movie, we see light switches, flush toilets, pre-cooked food and refrigerators being explained to the young men. Keep in mind, these are people who have never used electricity, and think that a common American job is cleaning dog teeth.

Although the United States is an opportunity for the young men, we see their struggle to make ends meet and send money back to friends and family in Africa, all the while deeply missing their homeland. The film deals in a thoughtful and respectful way with cultural differences and the emotional baggage of their past experiences. I think the film will also cause most viewers to reflect on American culture, and rethink any preconceived notions of African culture.

The amazing thing about these young men was the faith, joy and optimism that was still present in their outlook on life, especially after what they have been through. Their progress is followed over several years, and we see them mature, seek out lost loved ones and faithfully work to preserve their culture.

I highly recommend this film. Co-produced by Brad Pitt and narrarated by Nicole Kidman, God Grew Tired of Us was a thoughtful break from the usual explosions and CGI effects that I regularly subject myself to. I say "Go."