God Grew Tired of Us (2006)

Four boys from Sudan embark on a journey to America after years of wandering Sub-Saharan Africa in search of safety.

Directors:

Christopher Dillon Quinn (as Christopher Quinn), Tommy Walker

Writer:

Christopher Dillon Quinn (as Christopher Quinn)

Stars:

Panther Bior, John Bul Dau, Nicole Kidman

6 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Panther Bior	...	Himself
John Bul Dau	...	Himself
Nicole Kidman	...	Narrator
Daniel Abol Pach	...	Himself

Storyline

In 1987, Sudan's Muslim government pronounced death to all males in the Christian south: 27,000 boys fled to Ethiopia on foot. In 1991, they were forced to flee to Kenya; 12,000 survived to live in a U.N. camp in Kakuma. Archival footage documents the 1,000 mile flight; we see life in the camp. We follow three young men who repatriate to the U.S. John Bul Dau goes to Syracuse, and by the film's end, becomes a spokesperson for the Lost Boys and Lost Girls of Sudan; Daniel Abol Pach and Panther Bior go to Pittsburgh. All work several jobs, send money back to the camp, search for relatives lost in the civil war, acclimatize to the U.S., seek an education, and miss their homeland.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and some disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

God Grew Tired of Us

Filming Locations:

High Point, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$27,076 (USA) (12 January 2007)

Gross:

$275,736 (USA) (23 March 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lost Boys of Sudan, National Geographic Films, Silver Nitrate Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Bul Dau, Panther Bior, and Daniel Pach attended the screening of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival with filmmaker Christopher Quinn.

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Quotes

John Bul Dau: It was as if the last day, as people say in the Bible, that there will be a last day, that Jesus Christ will come, and whatever on Earth will be judged. That was my imagination. I though that God felt tired of people on earth here, felt tired of the bad deeds, the bad thing that we are doing, yet God is watching on us. I thought God got tired of us and he want to finish us. When I think of it back... it was so bad anyway. You can even think of - you can even regret why you were born. Why you ...

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Connections

Features I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

User Reviews

Sundance winner touches your heart

Lost your job? House in foreclosure? Wife/husband left? None of these things can come close to what happened to thousands of young boys in Sudan after the Muslim North started to eliminate the Christian South.

Darfur is not an imaginary place. It is where millions have been killed and raped and driven from their homes in the interests of oil and minerals.

Children see their parents killed before them and their whole families wiped out. They are really too young to understand what is happening, but it will come back to haunt them later.

Thousands of young boys from 5-13 marched a thousand miles, mostly without food and water to escape. The 13-year-olds had to lead and bury the dead. Imagine burying your friends at 13.

12,000 finally settled in a camp where they were basically just awaiting death. After 10 years, some of the boys got a chance to go the the U.S. This is their story. Imagine Africans transported to New York and Pennsylvania and other places without the basic knowledge of how to turn a light on and off, or how to use a shower. Imagine their astonishment on their first trip to a supermarket.

We follow three of these men as they settle in, get jobs to help their families and friends back in Africa and to repay the U.S. for their care until they got work visas. It is touching, funny at times, and a sad reminder that this war is still going on and nothing is being done.

Anytime you feel sad about your life, just pop this in the DVD player.