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Here's what the critics are saying about Uganda Rising....
Etan Vessing HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Critics tongues wagging with the latest works on display from directors who have risked injury and arrest to make films in global war zones…world premiere of Uganda Rising, Canadian directors Jesse James Miller and Pete McCormack’s film about a two-decade-long civil war in northern Uganda where children are kidnapped to become soldiers and sex slaves.”
Geoffrey D. Roberts NBC NEWS FIRST
“Uganda Risingshows viewers the hardships children face…this disturbing documentary contains several key interviews…is meant to shed light on what remains a hidden war and a hidden problem. The film’s goals focus on bringing into clear view the crisis Uganda still faces”.
Msia Kibona Clark ALL AFRICA
“Uganda Rising is to date one of the best documentaries on the conflict in northern Uganda. The film does an excellent job of portraying the background to the conflict, showing the roots and manipulations of ethnic tensions in Uganda from the colonial era to the present day. The analysis is well rounded and examines the multiple sides of the conflict…The stories told by Acholi children are heartbreaking but will hopefully spur an interest in a 20-year conflict that has thus far not received the attention it deserves…Uganda Rising is an excellent resource for activists, scholars, and educators.
Peter Quaranto, DIRECTOR, UgandaCAN
"More than any film to date, Uganda Rising provides a nuanced and sophisticated look at the history and dynamics of the 20-year war in northern Uganda. With key and diverse interviews, it helps us to see the big picture without losing sight of the individual stories of children that have been victimized by this conflict. I applaud it's producers and hope this film may help the growing international movement for peace in northern Uganda to wake up the world to this neglected crisis."
Emma Sadowski CHART ATTACK MAGAZINE ***** rating [out of 5]
"In everyday life it's often easy to forget that there are parts of the world where people live in utter turmoil. Enter Uganda Rising to remind us...The directors illuminate the need to understand the country's rich and complicated history in order to fully comprehend present day politics. The film also pushes comfort level boundaries with its horrifically graphic scenes... Many social and political documentaries offer no positive hope for the future, but this isn't the case with Uganda Rising. It places hope and optimism in the Acholi children who only know war but strive to overcome it by supporting their families and educating themselves; something we can all learn from."
John Goddard THE TORONTO STAR
"[Uganda Rising] is the work of a Vancouver-based organization called Act For Stolen Children, championing the children of northern Uganda in danger of being abducted as soldiers into the Lord's Resistance Army. The film's purpose is to raise awareness of long-ignored atrocities in the three northern districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, collectively known as Acholiland. Uganda Rising offers a mostly helpful overview of events. It introduces key players, lays out the main issues and features rare 1994 footage of the elusive LRA leader Joseph Kony."
Matthew Hays PLAYBACK MAGAZINE
"Some of the screening highlights [at HotDocs] among Canadian productions include Uganda Rising, by Jesse James Miller and Pete McCormack, which examines the effects of civil war on a group of African children, many of whom have been abducted and used by soldiers as sex slaves."
Ken Eisner THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT
West Coast filmmakers are on the cutting edge of political filmmaking at 2006’s Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival... highlighted by several British Columbian talent... Uganda Rising, from Pete McCormack and Jesse James Miller, looking at former child combatants in African civil wars..."
Anne Brodie METROLAND
"It's amazing... [the filmmakers] bring to light one of the most under-reported human catastrophes in modern times."
Jane Musoke-Nteyafas UG
“Uganda Rising…brings awareness to a twenty-year conflict and humanitarian crisis that has devastated Northern Uganda for nearly two decades. The brains behind this film are producer Alison Lawton and directors Jesse Miller and Pete McCormack. The film was produced by Mindset Media, a socially conscious, non-partisan media company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting stories and issues through compelling visuals which express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets today.”
Geoffrey D. Roberts REEL TALK REVIEWS
“Peace talks have failed between both sides [in the conflict]. If Uganda Rising helps bring forth a resolution to this serious situation, the film has more than done its job.”
Jordan Bimm THE VARSITY
“Not for the faint of heart, Uganda Rising aims to expose viewers to the graphic violence and ongoing ethnic strife which still occur in what many people wrongly assume is a stable African nation…Cut together with expert interviews from politico luminaries Noam Chomsky and Canada’s own Lloyd Axworthy, the horror of Uganda Rising makes everyday grief seem totally absurd.”
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