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War Child

Play trailer Poster for War Child PG-13 2008 1h 34m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Star Emmanuel Jal returns to Sudan where he served as a child soldier.

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War Child

Critics Reviews

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Aaron Hillis Village Voice 11/19/2008
An uplifting journey weighed down by dry, humdrum convention (attack of the talking heads!); this is social-studies homework, not nourishment for the soul. Go to Full Review Neil Genzlinger New York Times 11/14/2008
3/5
War Child, a documentary about the hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal, is a bit ragged and repetitive, but certainly this young man's life is amazing proof that one person really can make a difference. Go to Full Review Ian Buckwalter DCist 06/12/2010
3.5/10
We know that Jal was a child soldier, but we get no background on the practice, and there is a surprising lack of outrage or passion of any sort in all but one of the commentators who provide analysis. Go to Full Review Sonny Bunch Washington Times 08/30/2009
2.5/4
A more linear, shorter narrative that featured a few less musical interludes by Mr. Jal would have improved this documentary considerably. Go to Full Review Amber Wilkinson Eye for Film 07/04/2009
3.5/5
The content and the editing of this documentary are sharp... Poignant and a call to action. Go to Full Review Tricia Olszewski Washington City Paper 12/06/2008
War Child, like Jal's music, is nearly critic-proof: Its noble intentions and horrific subject matter insist that you pay attention and then gush about how inspiring it is. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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07/03/2010 A moving documentary that provides insight on the horrific problems in Sudan as told by a former child soldier, now music artist. Through old and new footage as well as his music, Emmanuel Jal recounts his story and his return home to see his family. See more 07/01/2010 Good simple insight and overview into the political scene in Sudan. I love Emmanuel Jal, and it was wonderful to hear more of his story. Beautiful example of forgiveness & redemption. See more 06/21/2010 Though Jal is a very meaningful person and his story is so thoughtful, the film stays as a too self-promotional sense, and I really want to "kill" that director who ruined the whole story, which sold his message of "US is everything"!!! > <" See more 06/21/2010 A well-shot documentary, the editing is persecuted well. A powerful movie and this is the first time i can get to know the first-person view from a former child soldier. While watching the movie I didn't feel self-promotional at all, instead i was thinking how touching it is that he's willing to share his traumatic experience with us. See more 11/28/2009 Very well documented! It's touching and moving. You will feel what it is like without peace and human rights! If you are a human, then you will definitely shed tears. Besides, his strong music tells stories of voiceless. See more 02/01/2009 A very inspiring film that is also very well shot, it will keep you glued to the screen throughout. It gives a history of a conflict, but instead of faceless statistic, focuses on one young man's story, making it so much easier to relate to. War child is definitely worth seeing. Two thumbs up. See more Read all reviews
War Child

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Christian Karim Chrobog

Director

Emmanuel Jal

Actor

Gabrielle Allen

Executive Producer

Roshanak Ameli-Tehrani

Executive Producer

Afshin Molavi

Producer

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War Child

War Child (2008) War Child (2008) War Child (2008) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Star Emmanuel Jal returns to Sudan where he served as a child soldier.
Director
Christian Karim Chrobog
Producer
Afshin Molavi
Distributor
Reelu Films
Production Co
Interface Media Group
Rating
PG-13 (Images Involving War|Thematic Material|Related Atrocities)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 14, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 22, 2016
Runtime
1h 34m
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