Familiar Voices (2008)

Romeo Dallaire, Simon Deng, Eric Reeves, Elie Wiesel

The Darfur genocide represents one of the most devastating crises of the early 21st century, yet fell prey to a scant degree of media attention in the west. That lack of publicity strikes one as even ... read more more outrageous given the knowledge that at the time of this production, the calamity bore witness to some of the most excruciating acts against mankind in decades - including the forced internment of countless innocents and the systematic murder of over 500,000. Familiar Voices offers a multifaceted documentary expose of this calamity, exploring the political and sociological background of the scenario, the requirements for a turnaround, and the capacity for change as human rights crusaders make valiant but only intermittently successful attempts to intervene. Pundits and commentators who appear on camera and discuss the situation include UNICEF ambassador Mia Farrow and Sudan researcher Professor Eric Reeves; the film also features many individuals from varied walks of life banding together to tell the Darfurians' stories, including community leaders, peace activists, college students and elementary schoolers. The subject previously received coverage in Theodore Braun's 2007 documentary Darfur Now. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi