Catching Up With Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman

God Grew Tired of Us is out today. The film was produced by Brad Pitt and was narrated
by Nicole Kidman. Matt Annerino, our man in Los Angeles, was on hand at the premiere
earlier in the week and gives us this account.

Americans all too often get tunnel vision, only seeing the path that
is right in front of them and not taking a break from the rat race to look around.
We know what is going on in the news, but rarely does the daily news truly convey the human element of these events that are so far removed from our safe, modern world.

Christopher Quinn’s “God Grew Tired of Us” is a compelling documentary
which shows us first hand the impact of the long-standing war in Sudan. Narrated
by Nicole Kidman, it chronicles the journey of three Sudanese refugees as they
transition from a Kenyan refugee camp to America.

For John Bul Dau, Daniel Abol Pach and Panther Blor, America was not the
beginning of their journey. Fleeing war and mass genocide, they were
among 25,000 “Lost Boys” of Sudan who trekked barefoot for over 1,000 miles,
finally settling in a UN refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya.

The film starts by providing a glimpse of life in the Kakuma refugee camp.
Instead of bitterness and in-fighting, the boys form makeshift families to
help each other. The human spirit is alive and well, and they never lose
their values and good heartedness, even though they have endured countless
hardships and violence.

This theme carries throughout the movie, as we see the young men struggle
to get used to American life, which is occasionally humorous. There is
a scene where their American representative explains to them that they cannot throw
garbage out the window and shows them how to use a shower and a toilet.

The film can also be quite poignant. At one point in the film one of them
is truly perplexed at the fact that while a woman was
crying in the supermarket he was the only one to come to
her aid, and why it is not custom to say hello to a stranger on the street.

John, Daniel and Panther all must make changes to become accustomed
to America, but they always stay true to their culture.
They never lose sight of their time spent in the refugee camp,
and each one individually strives to help those in need in Africa as
well as connect with the families with which they have been estranged.

While the conflict in Darfur is currently a media issue,
“God Grew Tired of Us”
comes along at a perfect time to show the human
fallout of the war in Sudan. In addition, our society has become such
that we lose sight of basic virtues and cast them aside to fulfill selfish
and society-driven goals, and we need to witness truly good-hearted and
innocent individuals. This film is an eye-opening experience, and is a must-see
for anyone looking to better understand the world around them.