(USA/Chad—2006—directed by Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern)

In 2003, Marine Captain Brian Steidle resigned from the Corps to accept a six-month post with the African Union as an unarmed military observer in Darfur, the western region of Sudan. Confronted by the clear-cut genocide which he saw taking place and unprepared for what he experienced, Steidle fought back with the only weapon he had – his camera – to chronicle the situation. After getting his photos published in the New York Times, he expected the world to intervene; yet as the horror continued to rage on, we witness – and feel – the frustrated Steidle’s transformation from soldier to observer to witness to tireless activist. This incredibly powerful documentary is also an important introduction to the specifics of the terrible situation in Sudan, allowing us to understand the region’s history as well as the conflicts that have resulted in this terrible, ongoing world crisis. (85 min.)

“Urgent and devastating. Demands to be seen as soon as possible and by as many viewers as possible.” -Manohla Dargis, The New York Times