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The Devil Came on Horseback

Written By Nobuhiro Hosoki

 

"The Devil Came on Horseback" is a good summation of what's really going in Darfur. The two women filmmakers, Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, thrust us into the plight of the people of Darfur through the eyes of an American Marine captain, Brian Steidle. His journey starts with an assignment to monitor the 2004 ceasefire in Sudan after 20 years of civil war. But what he witnesses is a blood-stained and burnt-out land of dead bodies, raped women and massacred children at the hands of the JanJaweed Militia tied to the Arab-controlled government of Sudan. Those devils are simply hold their authority to execute Darfur's  black citizens.

As his frustration continues to boil, Brian, an unarmed observer, takes his camera as an off-limits journalist to expose the situation with unprecedented pictures.  He and his team handed in 80 reports to the African Union, but nothing was taken into the serious consideration. Back in the States after finishing his assignment, back in the states, he is reluctant to make a fuss about what he had seen--he is from a military family.  But eventually, he takes the risk of giving all his eyes-averting material to the New York Times, which publishes a series entitled "The American Witness." Brian is engaged to speak out in every other medium and even testifies before Congress, but nothing ever comes of it.

Since 2003, 400,000 people have been killed, and 2.4 million displaced to neighboring countries. A similar situation is slowly happening in Rwanda. Yet, still to this day no substantial effort has been made to end their agonizing pain. Sudan continues to rebuff U.N interference. Brian is depressed over the fact that the people of Darfur gaze with such hope toward the United States.

The director's intention is to to outrage audiences to call for action.The film is a significant account of the current predicament there.  In the end,  it is Brian's admirably tough voice that echoes across the dusty, burnt-out village road: "Watching is Nothing."

Directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern
Directors of photography: Jerry Risius, Phil Cox, Tim Hetherington,
William Rexer II, Ms. Sundberg and John Keith Wasson
Edited by Joey Grossfield
Music by Paul Brill
Produced by Ms. Sundberg, Ms. Stern, Gretchen Wallace, Jane Wells,
Ira Lechner, and Eileen Haag and Cristina Ljungberg
Released by International Film Circuit.
Running time: 85 minutes.
This film is not rated.