rider_009

This film requires patience and attentiveness, there are some lulls to push through, so I recommend it while you are alert and present. My first attempt regrettably resulted in falling asleep on the couch. My second attempt resulted in a full appreciation for the masterpiece that is this fine documentary. One can appreciate the time Sauper took to embed himself in the Sudanese landscape. He delivers such a comprehensive illustration of what is occurring, who the major players are, and who is being affected on the ground by the mass exploitation of Sudan, the power struggle between North and South, and the legacy of colonialism in this war-torn country. The film making is gritty and superb. There are ever-present contrasts between the have's and the have-not's - some nuanced and fleeting, others bold and direct, all very deliberate and scathing in their portrayal of the unjust inequality that permeates not only Sudan, but one can imagine exist in many other regions with UN/Western Development Programmes. Not since Iraq in Fragments have I had such an involving, frustrating and rewarding cinematic experience.