Chronicles the effects of the ongoing civil war in the Sudan through the stories of 3 refugee youth who resettled in Seattle, Washington. This hour-long video documents over 18 months the lives of an adolescent girl and boy and of a young man as they adjust respectively to foster homes and to a group home and independent living. The present-day narrative is interwoven with powerful images of the unremitting violence in Sudan and of the fate of tens of thousands of children whose parents were murdered and villages destroyed. Seeking ever-elusive safety, the children walked for 1,000 miles to Ethiopia, back to Sudan, and finally to Kenya, where many spent years in the Kakuma Refugee Camp before leaving for the United States. Known in the media as the Lost Boys of Sudan, this group actually included a small number of girls. Survival required resilience in the face of starvation, constant fear, brutal attacks, and death. While life in the U.S. meant a respite from fear for these young refugees, they faced many challenges, from learning how to navigate the economy to dealing with feelings of isolation and grief. Education became a substitute parent, giving them a measure of self-confidence.
