Review: War Child (2008)

Director: Karim Chrobog | 94 minutes | documentary | With: Emmanuel Jal

“War Child” is the story of Emmanuel Jal, a young rapper whose music wants to convey the message of his history as a child soldier. We all know the stories about child soldiers, partly thanks to the War Child foundation, which raises money to get the war out of a child. That it is not possible to get the war out of a child completely, proves this gripping story by Emmanuel Jal.

Emmanuel was born in Sudan at the time of the war. He soon had to flee with his family to his grandmother’s village. He was put on a boat to Ethiopia with other children, but this boat crashed. Emmanuel was one of the few survivors and was asked if he wanted to be trained as a soldier. He agreed because he wanted to take revenge on everything that had happened to his village. From that moment on, the history of the young Emmanuel becomes even more intense. Fortunately, he ends up well because he meets a woman who gives him a new and better life.

The story of the movie “War Child” is in itself very poignant, and then it can be almost nothing but a very impressive film. Images of the war and child soldiers are interspersed with the stories of Emmanuel Jal himself, who can now tell about his experiences in a fairly sober way. He uses his experiences to help other people, especially children, become aware of the horrors that have befallen him and many others. He tells of his experiences in the form of rap music with which he performs all over the world, and raises money for the people of Sudan. Emmanuel’s music also plays an important role in the movie. The fierce images and stories are interspersed with his recordings of his performances in schools or on stages and his stories in the form of a rap. Because the story in the form of rap comes across a bit less intense and is brought a bit more cheerfully, this puts the emotional parts into perspective. “War Child” is a beautiful, fierce documentary that certainly leaves a lasting impression. It makes you silent.