| View Larger Image | Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | DVDStarring: Reuben M. Koroma; Francis John Langba; Abduul Rahim Kamara; Efuah Grace; Alhadji Jefferey Kamara; Mohamed Bangura; Ashade Pearce
Directed By: Banker White; Zach Niles
| List Price: | $26.95 | | Price: | $24.49 | | You Save: | $2.46 (9%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | DVD | | Rating: |  | | Run Time: | 80 minutes | | Format: | Color, DVD, NTSC | | Studio: | DOCURAMA | | Number of Discs: | 1 | | Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1 | | Release Date: | August 14, 2007 | | Sales Rank: | 45,496th |
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FEATURES | - Uplifting and courageous, this dramatic seven-time award-winning film by Zach Niles and Banker White tracks the journey of Sierra Leone s Refugee All Stars--a group of six musicians who formed a band after being displaced from their home during the brutal decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone--as they rise from the ashes of war and inspire a nation to believe in the healing power of music. Sier
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Uplifting and courageous, this dramatic seven-time award-winning film by Zach Niles and Banker White tracks the journey of Sierra Leone s Refugee All Stars--a group of six musicians who formed a band after being displaced from their home during the brutal decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone--as they rise from the ashes of war and inspire a nation to believe in the healing power of music. SIERRA LEONE S REFUGEE ALL STARS follows band mates Reuben Koroma, Francis Franco Langba, Efuah Grace, Mohammed Bangura, Arahim Kamara and Alhadji Black Nature Kamara through their tour of local refugee camps, debut recording session and painful return to their country for the first time since the war. The band s sound, a mixture of home-grown beats from West Africa, roots-reggae and Western-influenced rhythm and blues combined with heartfelt lyrics which condemn war and encourage social change, have been praised around the world, leading to the band s first American tour.DVD Features: Featurette: Refugee Rolling - this short film picks up the band s story as they prepare for their first journey to America and quickly become an international musical sensation; Deleted Scenes; Musical Moments; About ninemillion.org; Theatrical Trailer |
Amazon.com
The indomitable human spirit shines through in Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, the true tale of some African musicians who managed to survive, even thrive, during their country's darkest days. From 1991 to 2002, Sierra Leone, a former British colony located on Africa's west coast, was devastated by a civil war in which brutal rebel militias laid waste to their own country. Thousands were killed, while those who survived lost family members, homes, and, in many cases, limbs and other body parts that were hacked off by the sadistic rebels (the film contains grim, sometimes graphic footage of such atrocities). Like many fellow Sierra Leoneans, singer-songwriter Reuben M. Koroma and the other members of the group that came to be known as the Refugee All Stars fled to neighboring Guinea (as did people from Liberia and the Ivory Coast after war broke out there as well). Despite frequent moves from one camp to another ("Today you settle, tomorrow you pack" was one of their mantras), the musicians manage to keep writing songs, practicing, and performing for other refugees; their music, played on drums and electric guitars, bass, and keyboards, is a lilting, infectious, often joyful sound, influenced by Jamaican reggae and reflecting their wartime experiences simply and literally. When the war finally ends, many are reluctant to return to Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital and largest city. But when the United Nations offers to sponsor a brief visit that will include the recording of their first album, Koroma and company agree. And while the place they go back to is a mess, with many people living in poverty and squalor, it is, after all, their homeland; in the end, patriotism and the redemptive power of music transcend. Among the extensive bonus features are deleted scenes, a 20-minute featurette that documents preparations for the All Stars' first world tour, and a variety of "musical moments," including a 2006 gig in Japan. --Sam Graham |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 10 reviews)
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Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars free outdoor concert in Hanover NH by I. Wheeler (NH)  5 Stars
June 27, 2009
I am rating this dvd as a 5 dispite the fact that I haven't even seen it. Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars performed today on the Dartmouth common. Their music is a joyful blend of instruments and musical styles and beats. They are simply amazing. I am searching for their cd now. Many thanks to the sponsors of this fine (and free to the public) concert. And kudos to these talented musicians for inspiring us to give peace a chance.
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Music and shattered lives . . . by Ronald Scheer (Los Angeles) 5 Stars
April 09, 2008
This short documentary about a band of refugee musicians is more about civil strife and man's inhumanity to man than it is about music. While hearing accounts of murder and mutilation and seeing images of men and women without hands and arms, we learn of the decade-long civil war in the West African country (and former British colony) Sierra Leone, where hostilities finally ebbed in 2002. And we learn of the flight of refugees to camps in nearby Guinea, where they survive on humanitarian aid from UNHCR.
A group of musicians emerge from this nightmare to tell their story in song, eventually returning home to Freetown, where they meet up with other musicians, old friends who have somehow kept alive in poverty-stricken areas of the ruined city. As the film ends, they are cutting an album that they hope will help launch a career to support themselves. Aspirations take on excited new dimensions as they are invited to perform in the U.S. A follow-up featurette brings them to 2007, and we watch them on stage in an outdoor concert.
The DVD includes a number of their songs, laced with sorrow, anger, and humor. It's especially interesting to watch as their songs evolve over time and take on new energy and musical focus. Like other films about the healing and life-sustaining power of music (such as "Favella Rising"), this one leaves a memorable imprint on the heart. It's a testament to both the tenacity and the fragility of the human spirit in the face of life-shattering trauma.
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Suffering Transformed by Music by Dr. Thomas E. Parker (Chico, CA) 5 Stars
April 06, 2008
This is a compelling and ultimately uplifting documentary about refugees from the civil war in Sierra Leone who come together in a refugee camp in Guinea, create a band, and begin to transform their suffering into beautiful music. The documentary includes images of war torn Sierra Leone, as well as the stories of the members of The Refugee All Stars, so there are some very disturbing segments. If you are interested in learning more about this I also recommend a book by Ishmael Beah "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier."
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Amazing! by J .T. (CO) 5 Stars
September 18, 2007
This film is a must see for anyone who needs a jolt of inspiration. When all seems grim there truly is something more important; the simplicity of life found in understanding and forgiveness. I can't recommend this film enough!
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Uplifting and touching film by California 5 Stars
September 18, 2007
This movie is a beautiful film about people rising above a tragic situation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have recommended it to all of my friends. Definitely worth viewing.
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Living Like a Refugee is the realization of a lifelong dream for this inspiring band of Sierra Leonean musicians. Each song is an original composition written during their years in exile in the refugee camps. The powerful lyrics speak to the suffering and injustice they have seen but also reverberate with hopeful, optimistic rhythms.
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