I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This is a documentary that makes one realize fully the power of film. This is a very intense film on the rehabilitation of young children whose lives have been shattered by war – in this case a war in northern Uganda. This rehabilitation is done by involvement in music and dance. There is a universality to these art forms that hopefully will bring joy and strength back to their lives.I also loved the way this film portrayed African people – there are relatively few films that give a full portrait of the people of Africa. There are many films depicting events in Africa. This one gives a full view of both people and events – it does not portray people in the abstract. Some of the events narrated in this documentary are not for the faint of heart. I would not recommend this film for young children.It also makes one realize how we in the affluent west are so overloaded with our gadgets and toys. How much does one need for happiness? There is both great joy and sadness in this documentary, so be prepared.

This superb documentary shows Acholi children from one village in the war zones of northern Uganda, who diligently prepare for the national musical and cultural competition in far-off and far-safer Kampala, the capital of Uganda.While they try hard to succeed, they are beset by the constant danger of abduction at the hands of the Lord's Resistance Army (MRA), which is led by a religious fanatic (and part-time mystic and fortune-teller) named Joseph Kony, who started an uprising against the Ugandan army in 1986, pledging to turn the country into a theocracy with a constitution loosely based on the Ten Commandments.Kony's army has abducted more than 30,000 children in northern Uganda and forced them to be soldiers and killers of their own tribal members. More than 200,000 children in northern Uganda have been orphaned because their parents were murdered. The LRA's 20-year war against the central government's Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF), has left at least two million Ugandans displaced from their homes. Meanwhile, even in so-called 'safe camps,' where countless thousands live amid squalor and disease and depend on the United Nations food program, the UPDF still doesn't provide adequate protection. It is wonderful to watch these determined children turn on their smiles and their brilliant talents as they prepare for, and participate in, the national competition. When they arrive in Kampala (southern Uganda, where no warfare takes place), they are overwhelmed to see skyscrapers; they had never seen buildings before. Writers/directors Sean Fine and Andrea Nix have done a great job of conveying the wondrous dreams of young people, along with the terrible ordeals they face in a savage, senseless war that sees no end. One youth, in a stunning story of barbarism, recounts how he was ordered to butcher three farmers with a hoe, and if he looked away at any time, he himself would have been murdered. Such is the barbarism that exists in northern Uganda today, much of it all but unknown to us in the West.To make matters worse, there is blatant corruption in the central government itself, which enacted legislation in 2005 that will allow the corrupt lowlife Yoweri Musevini (elected in 1986) to be president-for-life. There are strong hints that he and Kony have an 'arrangement' to continue the war because it advances both of their 'causes,' although those 'causes' are not always readily apparent. Neither of these two lunatics appears to give a damn about the terrible pain they have inflicted on their own people.Another equally powerful documentary on this same subject is 'The Other Side of the Country' (2006), by Quebec filmmaker Catherine Hebert. This very disturbing film concentrates more on the older (and even aged) northern Ugandans who are displaced from their homes by war and forced to live out their lives in teeming, treacherous 'relocation' camps, which are really nothing more than disease-infested examples of the worst kinds of slums.

You must be warned that much of this is painful to watch. Those of us in more affluent circumstances don't like being reminded of the horror which many including young children are forced to endure.This focuses especially on three children: Rose, Nancy, and Dominic. Each has a horrible story to tell. And each has been lifted up through the power of music and the arts.Not only has music especially done much for these children, but also the musical competition has given them some to aspire to and renewed hope for their individual futures.It seems like the people of Uganda look down on the capabilities of those living in the war zone. The competition gives them the chance to prove themselves.During the credits, we are told of the aspiration of each of the three. One can only wish for each the future he or she is working for. One hopes to be a music teacher, one a doctor, and one a musician. May they be granted their wishes.The film has some of the most beautiful cinematography I have seen in a documentary. We see both the beauty and the devastation of the country.This is a film to see and easily ranks among the best films of the year, matching many of those filmed only for entertainment value.

I had the pleasure of viewing this film at Sundance, and it is phenomenal. Outstanding film making, and a compelling story that can only come from real life. My heart went out to the children, and I was incredibly inspired by their stories. Documentary film making at it's best. It won the Outstanding Director Award, and with good reason.What I found most compelling was how the film showed the resilience of the human spirit in the worst of circumstances. At the end of day, we all want to be loved and to contribute to our society. These children and their families rose above the atrocities of war to achieve greatness within their community and their country. They did it not because it was the "right" or "nobel" thing to do, but because it made them feel good and helped to wipe away their pain. A very important lesson for us all.