2008 Woodie Awards
Darfur film resonates with students
Amanda Flitter
Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: News
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Images of burning villages and human remains, inter-cut with the tearful interviews of Sudanese refugees, were displayed to a sold out 200-seat theater at the MUB on Tuesday night.
The images were a part of the film "The Devil Came on Horseback," which is a firsthand account by former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle of the Darfur genocide. The film was shown by the newly formed UNH chapter of STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition as a way to educate and promote awareness, and it was sponsored by Global Grassroots, an organization that works to empower women genocide survivors. The film drew strong reactions from some students.
"I was blown away," said student Tobi Afolayan. "You know genocide is bad, but you don't feel it until you see the images and hear the stories."
Student Jessica Mayer called the graphic photographs in the film "eye opening."
"I knew the world was cruel, but I didn't know it was that cruel," she said.
Steidle volunteered to go to Sudan as a military observer to monitor a cease-fire. While there, he took photographs and recorded interviews, which he then brought back to the United States in order to raise awareness when his term was completed. The film centers on his experiences and his testimony.
Tensions between Darfur and the Sudanese government reached a critical point when Darfur was not included in a peace agreement signed between north and south Sudan to end decades of conflict. Rebel tribes in Darfur accused the government of marginalization, and acted by attacking a government air force base in El Fasher, North Darfur, in 2003. In response, Arab militias known as Janjaweed ("Devils on Horse"), who are supplied and trained by the Sudanese government, began attacking and destroying villages using a scorched earth campaign. The United States declared it genocide in 2004. According to the film, 400,000 have been killed and 2.5 million have been displaced. Many fleeing from Darfur go to neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic.
The images were a part of the film "The Devil Came on Horseback," which is a firsthand account by former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle of the Darfur genocide. The film was shown by the newly formed UNH chapter of STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition as a way to educate and promote awareness, and it was sponsored by Global Grassroots, an organization that works to empower women genocide survivors. The film drew strong reactions from some students.
"I was blown away," said student Tobi Afolayan. "You know genocide is bad, but you don't feel it until you see the images and hear the stories."
Student Jessica Mayer called the graphic photographs in the film "eye opening."
"I knew the world was cruel, but I didn't know it was that cruel," she said.
Steidle volunteered to go to Sudan as a military observer to monitor a cease-fire. While there, he took photographs and recorded interviews, which he then brought back to the United States in order to raise awareness when his term was completed. The film centers on his experiences and his testimony.
Tensions between Darfur and the Sudanese government reached a critical point when Darfur was not included in a peace agreement signed between north and south Sudan to end decades of conflict. Rebel tribes in Darfur accused the government of marginalization, and acted by attacking a government air force base in El Fasher, North Darfur, in 2003. In response, Arab militias known as Janjaweed ("Devils on Horse"), who are supplied and trained by the Sudanese government, began attacking and destroying villages using a scorched earth campaign. The United States declared it genocide in 2004. According to the film, 400,000 have been killed and 2.5 million have been displaced. Many fleeing from Darfur go to neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic.
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