The international flavor of this year's festival is impressive, with films originating from 31 different countries. Among the strong submissions are those that deal with Africa, including themes of children soldiers, poverty, corruption, and the strength of the human spirit.
Two inspirational and charged documentaries follow the lives of two charismatic young Africans who escape from their duty as child soldiers, experience success abroad, and then return to their homeland to reconnect with the people they were forced to leave behind.
Kassim the Dream is the true story of Kassim Ouma, who was enslaved in the Ugandan rebel army and forced to murder and torture from the age of six. His unique talent for boxing wins him a chance to visit the United States for an international tournament, where he seizes the opportunity to defect at age 18. His dedication and talent culminate in his becoming the junior middle-weight boxing champion of the world and living the American dream. The film follows Ouma as he returns to Uganda to reconnect with his family, despite a death sentence over his head for defecting.
War Child tells a similar story of a "lost boy" of Sudan, Emmanuel Jal, who at great odds survives life as a child soldier and makes it all the way the United States. He uses his music to raise awareness about the dire conditions in Sudan and the plight of child soldiers. After 18 years of separation from his family, he returns to Sudan to unite with them.
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