Good Example Of Lost Boys Of Sudan By Megan Mylan And Jon Shenk Movie Review

Shot in 2003, the documentary film Lost Boys of Sudan by Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk follows the challenges the Sudanese young men faced while surviving the civil war in their country and reaching the United States searching for the better life. The documentary got a critical acclaim and the love of the audience due to the overview it gives on one of the disturbing chapters in the history of humanity.
David Mayom’s description of his experiences as a lost boy and life afterward may seem surrealistic for the person living in the developed country. It is truly difficult to imagine that the individual may have so many challenges in order to have a normal life only because he was born in another part of the world where things are not taken for granted but fought for passionately. What surprises most is the chain of challenges that seems endless – first, the individual is lucky to stay alive after the war, and second, he needs to change it completely by moving to another country where he is an unwanted stranger. Obviously, the process of adaptation is overflowing with the hardships for the immigrant.
As seen in the documentary, the Sudanese refugees have too many difficulties in adapting to life in America to leave the audience indifferent. It seems so unfair that what other people have as some natural matter of course, the same very thing can sometimes be never achieved by the others. First of all, the Sudanese youth feels uncomfortable about the technologies in the everyday life that are never heard of in Africa. The easiest thing like the usage of the cooker may be quite a challenge for the Sudanese young man for quite a while.
Secondly, without the necessary education and skills, it seems impossible for the African youth to self-actualize because the knowledge and the experience they have are not enough for the life in the civilized country. This point is very difficult in the psychological terms, and only the strongest morally are able to overcome the challenges and make their way to the American dream.
The major complaints of the Sudanese young men about their new life in America, mostly concern the issues of culture and society. Though provided with the basic material benefits, the youth is still facing the necessity of integrating into the society which is only possible due to the great desire and personal traits of the immigrant. It is not easy though when there exist the language barrier and the lack of professional experience, so that the immigrant looks attractive to the country’s employers.
The film is significant in providing t wider view angle on the issues of immigration in the US, particularly, the African refugees. The directors successfully conveyed the rules of each part in the process and demonstrated the challenges and interests of both. The film is definitely a must-see not only for the documentary cinema lovers but also those who are interested in the world events and human challenges.