War Child - a boy soldier's story

7 April 2010

The Brotherhood of St Laurence will present a screening of this powerful film that tells the story of Emmanuel Jal – a child of war in Sudan, a boy soldier, a refugee and now an internationally successful rap artist – at ACMI in Federation Square on Thursday 29 April at 6 pm.

At the age of seven, swept into Sudan’s civil war, Jal became one of 10,000 child soldiers conscripted on both sides of the two-decade-long conflict. After being forced to do unimaginably horrible things, he escaped and trekked for four months through Africa until he was eventually found and adopted by a British aid worker. Jal rose from his dark past as a ruthless child soldier to become an international music star, finding his own redemption and life mission through a message of peace that represents one of the 21st century’s most inspiring and hopeful journeys and a metaphor for the broader African predicament.

The Melbourne screening will be introduced by David Vincent, whose childhood friendship with Jal began in an Ethiopian refugee camp.

See why audiences from New York, Berlin and London rave about this Emmy-nominated, feature-length documentary which is interspersed with original interviews, live concerts and rare footage of Jal as a seven-year-old boy. War Child will make you cry, laugh, dance and celebrate the power of hope.

All proceeds go towards Brotherhood programs to help refugees settle in Australia and rebuild their lives.

WHO: Brotherhood of St Laurence
WHAT: War Child film night − a boy soldier's story   
WHEN: Thursday 29 April 2010
TIME: 6 pm – 9 pm
WHERE: ACMI − Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne
COST:  $30 per person (includes live music, finger food from a world of diverse cultures, beer and wine)
BOOKINGS: Contact Gabi Orosz on (03) 9483 2484 or www.bsl.org.au/whatson.aspx
INQUIRIES: Email events@bsl.org.au

Media inquiries contact Grahame Whyte on 0410 221 574

Download this media release (PDF file, 77 KB)