War Dance | 
 enlarge | Directors: Andrea Nix, Sean Fine
Studio: Velocity / Thinkfilm
Category: DVD
List Price: $27.98
Buy New: $18.96
You Save: $9.02 (32%)
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Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 7228
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: THKD55225D
UPC: 821575552257
EAN: 0821575552257
ASIN: B000ZN71H2
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: April 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Image Entertainment Release Date: 04/15/2008 Run time: 107 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
The superb documentary War/Dance reveals the redemptive power of music, even in the most horrific places. Focusing on three children in their early teens in war-torn Uganda--stoic Nancy, driven Dominic, and soft-spoken Rose--War/Dance tracks the efforts of the school of a refugee camp called Patongo to compete in Uganda's countrywide music competition. The contrasts are staggering; in interviews, the children describe their parents being killed by rebel soldiers, then footage of rehearsal shows them joyfully singing and dancing with their classmates. Some of the sequences are harrowing (a scene where Nancy grieves for her murdered father is painful to watch), but without them, we wouldn't understand how hard-won are the feelings of pride and accomplishment as their school performs for the competition's judges. The built-in structure of the competition gives this documentary a clear and engrossing storyline, much like Spellbound or Mad Hot Ballroom, but the heartbreaking circumstances and the emotional openness of the three teenagers makes War/Dance even more compelling. In one particularly striking scene, Dominic talks to a captured rebel officer, hoping to learn if his brother is still alive. As they talk, the soldier--who's around the age Dominic's brother might be--tries to be helpful, and explains almost offhandedly why the brother is most likely dead. The casualness of this conversation, devoid of Hollywood histrionics, speaks volumes about how violence has infiltrated these people's daily lives. --Bret Fetzer
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
MUST SEE! October 31, 2008
T. Thompson (Copley, OH)
This is a remarkable movie. It's a documentary about children living in a refugee camp in Darfur. As difficult as their lives have been, they are incredibly committed and uplifted when they sing, dance, and play their musical instruments. The true stories of the children's lives are heart-wrenching. Their love of music and dance is genuine. The film is incredibly authentic -- it's a documentary -- but, it's not stuffy, it's fantastic.
 Just satisfactory October 22, 2008
PJR (Minneapolis, Minnesota United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was glad to watch this once, but for me it is certainly not a keeper. They had rich potential material and I felt that they covered it only rather superficially.
Their main point was believable -- these kids have been through hell and a musical competition in the capital was extremely important for their morale and self-esteem. I thought that was a wonderful point to make. It will stick in my mind.
But they used a lot of film to say this. There were endless shots of cute kids just looking pitiful. At some point it even seemed somewhat manipulative. We did hear about the terrible things that the kids had experienced and yet I never felt that we got very far beyond this in terms of their individuality considering how much film was used.
We heard snippets of the music and yet there was very little feeling for what a complete traditional song was and how it fit into tribal identity. Again, the focus was so much on the competition that the relationship between the music and the inner person was not well developed, whereas there was certainly time to do it.
I wanted to know more about the competition. Who set it up? Why in artistic terms did these kids score so well? Could they have scored so well without the teachers that had been sent to them? How much of their music was authentically traditional stuff that they already knew and how much was shaped by the teachers? I would say edit out some of the repetitious shots of the faces of cute kids and give more information about what was going on. I am not saying that there was none!! Just dig a bit more.
I don't want to seem overly critical, but I am the 28th reviewer and all the other reviews are five stars and I think I should try to explain why I cannot rave about this. I do think that if this film comes around on Link TV the average viewer might find it interesting and more worth watching than most of what is on TV. There is too little on the tragedies in Africa as they affect individuals and children in particular. But aside from the importance of keeping the tragedies in mind, for me this was only an average "alternative" channel TV documentary in terms of quality.
War Dance July 21, 2008
Sally Stackhouse (Oxnard, CA USA)
There wasn't a dry eye in the house when my Senior Residents and I watched this movie. The saddness then mixed with triumph was the most beautiful feeling in the world to us. You need to see this film if only to know just how fortunate we are here in the USA to have the freedoms we have. Thank you...for making such an important movie with a message.
Sally Stackhouse
Executive Resident Manager
SeaWind Seniors Apartments
Oxnard, CA
Gut Wrenching & Inspirational! July 3, 2008
J. A. Denney
You don't know me so I'm not going to pretend that my opinion is going to matter to you but I can honestly say that this is the best documentary I have ever seen. If you watch this movie and don't shed a tear, then you have no soul. The footage of Nancy and her mother visiting her father's grave site is gut wrenching and powerful beyond mere words. However, the message of hope and the healing power of music and dance is so inspirational that it is hard to believe that anyone who sees this film would not be moved. This film will change lives, it is that powerful. See it and believe.
Watch. Listen. Learn. June 28, 2008
B. Merritt (WWW.FILMREVIEWSTEW.COM, Pacific Grove, California United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Nominated at the 2008 Oscars in the Best Documentary category, it is easy to see why WAR DANCE was on top of that list. Although it lost out to Taxi To the Dark Side, War Dance need not hang its head.
Little known subjects are a great thing to learn about, and this is War Dance's biggest strength. The civil war in Uganda has raged for over 20 years, but few know what it's about or its effects on the population. One look at War Dance will give you some chilling insights.
Focusing on three children within the Patongo refugee camp of northern Uganda, all of the kids have lost at least one parent, sibling or family member to the horrors of the war, and have been forced into this government protected camp for basic survival. Life is dank, depressing, and full of fear. Until one day the children discover that their little school has qualified for the finals at the annual Kampala Music Festival. And with them will go Dominic, a boy forced into being a child soldier for the rebels and desperately trying to locate his lost brother. A gripping scene between himself and a rebel leader tells Dominic much of what he already suspected. Nancy, a tough young lady, will go the Kampala, too. And with her she brings the hopes and dreams of her father who was hacked to death by machetes (the visit to his grave is sure to have many reaching for the tissue box). Then we have Rose, the soft-spoken one who is obviously in a funk of depression. But to watch her dance is to see the lights burst forth from her eyes.
The documentary is exceptionally well put together. The cinematography of the surrounding jungle is awe-inspiring, as are the tough scenes where children are put in front of the camera and asked to explain how they feel ("I can't wait to see what peace looks like," says one of them as they prepare to compete in Kampala).
Shown as a sort of David and Goliath tale, one can't help but see the infiltration of Christianity on these people's lives, too. Their clothing, their "prayers", and many other aspects speak to the westernization of their culture. One of the competition categories is even called "Western Choral Music." But the big winner in the categories is obviously the native dance sequence where Dominic shines as the xylophone player, Nancy dances and spins with delight, and Rose comes back to life. The other schools, initially sneering at this "tiny school from the north", begin to respect them.
But can these first timers win anything at a festival where they compete against schools of much greater renown? You'll have to watch and find out. And you should. The tales of torture mixed with the joy of music and dance are something everyone should see. And you might even learn something you didn't know about in another part of the world.
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