INVISIBLE CHILDREN: ROUGH CUT (Documentary)

By: Nasir Al-Amin
Daily vulnerable children confront inconceivable obstacles that challenge their right to a childhood saturated with peace, security and nurturing experiences. One such obstacle is armed conflict, which turns vulnerable children into Child Soldiers: “instruments of war, to kill or be killed.” According to United Nations estimates, approximately 300,000 children are currently engaged in conflicts around the world. This figure does not comprise of the number of children engaged in combat training or laborious activities associated with combat, which then exacerbates the number into hundreds of thousands—more than 300,000. The sexual, physical and emotional abuse associated with war imprints a devastating mark on a child’s physical, psychological, and intellectual development.

The documentary Invisible Children: Rough Cut explores the experience of children exploited for combat. The documentary is on a nation wide tour, so in order to find a screening date and venue near you go to the following link: http://invisiblechildren.com/theMovie/screenings/

What follows is the Movie Synopsis from Invisible Children (www.invisiblechildren.com/media/pdfs/
movie_synopsis.pdf)
Invisible Children: Rough Cut
Movie Synopsis:
What started out as a film-making adventure in Africa, transformed into much more, when the three young American’s (Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole) original travels took a divine turn, and they found themselves stranded in Northern Uganda. They discovered children being kidnapped nightly from their homes and subsequently forced to fight as child soldiers. This film is dedicated to exposing this tragic, and amazingly untold story.

Even at this moment, in Uganda, Children as young as 8 are methodically kidnapped from their homes by a rebel group called the “Lord’s Resistance Army” (LRA). The abducted children are then desensitized to the horror of brutal violence and killing, as they themselves are turned into vicious fighters. Some escape and hide in constant fear for their lives.

Most remain captive, and grow to maturity with no education other than life “in the bush” and fighting in a guerilla war. Of the many ramifications that a 20 -year-long war can cause, the .lm “Invisible Children: Rough Cut” highlights what the community refers to as “NIGHT COMMUTERS.” We watch thousands of children “commute” out of fear, from their villages to nearby towns each night in order to avoid the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) abductions. They sleep in public places, vulnerable, and without supervision.

This film focuses in on 4 young boys: Jacob, Thomas, Tony, and Boni. Through their eyes, we relive the terror of abduction, courage of survival, the heartbreak of losing a brother, and the innate joy- found only in a child. The three filmmakers (Jason, Bobby, and Laren) were amazed to and many things in common between these kids and kids in
America, themselves included. As the three left Northern Uganda, they were appalled by what they had seen, and yet, in awe of the resilience and hope they found in these children, and this community. The filmmakers thought: How could such an atrocity exist for such a long time, without the world knowing?

Believing that the “invisible children’s” story could inspire others to do something, as it did them, they created a documentary, which we now know as the “Invisible Children: Rough Cut”. They originally screened the film in June 2004 for friends and family and soon expanded to high schools, colleges, and organizations. After audiences viewed the movie, one question repeatedly surfaced, “what can we do?” And so, a nonprofit was birthed out of a film.

Additionally, for those in New York here are two upcoming dates and locations:
On April 18, 2006, 6:30 PM @ 75 Third Ave. at E. 11th St. (Mini Theater). RSVP required at hrwya_advocacy@yahoo.com
On April 19, 2006, 6:15 PM @ Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Ave., Room C03. RSVP required at hrwya_advocacy@yahoo.com