Films that Tell the South Sudanese Story

A List of Documentaries

As many people are learning about the South Sudanese Story, we wanted to compile a list of documentaries that illuminate the world’s newest nation. Think of this page as a resource for you, our supporters and partners.

God Grew Tired of Us

In the film God Grew Tired of Us, three Sudanese refugees, John Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior, come to the US and are quickly faced with the harsh reality of that living the American dream may not be all what they envisioned.  This documentary captures their suffering, fear, hope, and success as they try to assimilate in the United States.

The three men, in their 20’s, and early 30’s, were among the 20,000 “lost boys” of Sudan who had to flee their villages and walk thousands of miles in order to escape the brutalities of the civil war that started in 1989 and ended in 2005.  The title of the film comes from a statement by John, in expressing that he thought the suffering and killings he saw during his country’s civil war may have been the final judgment on the earth spoken of in the Bible, because “God was tired of us,” “tired of the bad things the people were doing.”

The documentary follows the men over the course of four years and chronicles their American journey. We see them try to adjust to the American way of life where success is measured in dollars rather than in crops produced.  

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=ZSTDZMXpzhA&t=18s

Full movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5N_qKbHHWw

Madina’s Dream

The film Madina’s Dream tells the tragic story of how Sudanese rebels and refugees from the Nuba tribe fight to survive.  Madina is an 11 year old girl caught in the crossfire of war who must drop out of school to care for her younger siblings after her mother is killed in the civil war. Omar al Bashir, the president of South Sudan, is determined to exterminate all Nuba people of South Sudan.

Madina is forced to grapple with the violence all around her while still holding out hope for a better future. The film captures the fight and will of her fellow people.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks07jLW4nYc

Full movie:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4151472/

Saving South Sudan

The documentary filmmakers of, ambitiously set out to locate Riek Machar, the former vice president of South Sudan. Riek Machar has been leading a rebellion group against the current President, Salva Kiir. With the help of a former child soldier, named Machot Lat Thiep, the filmmakers are able to locate Riek Machar through countless satellite phone calls and through local contacts.
Saving South Sudan gives viewers a first-hand account of the fighting occurring in the war torn country. We see villages that have been burned to the ground by opposing rebel forces. The filmmakers interview rebel soldiers from both sides, including Riek Machar. This documentary captures the human tragedy that comes from civil war.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tHdggaPyWM

Full movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDSu8wlQG6c

Wrestling for Peace Vice Doc

Peter Biak Ajak a native of South Sudan seeks to find a way to unify the people of South Sudan during the midst of the civil war. Wrestling was his answer to bring the people of warring tribes together. The documentary follows the obstacles that Peter faces with putting on the event. A truly unique event, that entertains, and brings together the people of South Sudan. Wrestling for Peace focuses on a moment in time, where the Sudanese can forget about the war around them, and focus on the movement of the human body.

Full movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoZI49yKTpU

We Come as Friends

In the film, We Come as Friends, director Hubert Sauper visits people and places in South Sudan in effort to hear stories first hand from the people experiencing the traumatic war. The documentary, reveals interviews with South Sudanese citizens, politicians, and international decision-makers. He also visits Chinese oil workers, who are exploiting the South Sudanese land for oil. The South Sudanese citizens behind the fence of the barracks fight for their land to be freed of the Chinese seeking oil. The South Sudanese fear of being evicted from their villages and land. A puzzling, dramatic, and eye-opening documentary full of stories and background to the problem in South Sudan.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0uso3emlUg

Full movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3362914/