Facing Sudan

Facing Sudan now only $6.99

2011-11-25T07:56:00.001-06:00

Much has changed in Sudan over the last year. South Sudan became the world's newest country as it broke away from the north and declared itself the Republic of South Sudan in July. However, South Sudan is one of the poorest nations in the world today and is rocked by violence---both among its many ethnic groups but also tension with the government of the North has erupted into violence along the border. Although peace was signed in June, violence there continues as well. The humanitarian crisis in Darfur continues.

Facing Sudan addressed some of these issues back when it hit the festival circuit in 2007. The film was made to spread awareness about the situation in both South Sudan and in Darfur. It provides necessary background information to understanding the conflict and the situation today.

In order to continue the purpose of spreading awareness, Facing Sudan is now available for just $6.99 from Film Baby. We also have free lesson plans and viewing party materials, as well.

New Music From Tom Flannery

2011-02-14T15:19:00.001-06:00

Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke composed the soundtracks for both Facing Sudan and Crayons and Paper. Over the past several years, I have been amazed at the level of sophistication and talent these two singer-songwriters have demonstrated, not only with their work on the films, but also in their solo efforts as well.

Since recording the soundtrack to Facing Sudan, Flannery has released several albums. He posts the albums online; several of them are free downloads. His latest venture, Edward, is Flannery at his best: whimsical, poignant; at times heartbreaking and scathing. In a nutshell, Edward does not disappoint and certain tracks, most notably “We Deserve Better than This,” “Wallflowers” and “Without a Girl,” rank among his finest work. These tunes prove once again that Flannery is deserving of a much wider audience.

The album is available for free. There’s no reason not to download it. When you do, let others know. Pass it around. You will not be disappointed.

You can download Edward here.

Facing Sudan Price Drop

2010-10-23T19:53:00.001-05:00

Facing Sudan has been a popular film for the last couple of years on Netflix, in libraries all across the United States and in schools. Now, get Facing Sudan for only $11.99, only from Film Baby.

Plus, enter coupon code "ship4free" and receive free First Class shipping. Hurry. This coupon has been extended until December 20, 2010.

PALIN LIED ABOUT DARFUR

2008-10-04T14:05:00.002-05:00

While watching the vice presidential debates on Thursday night, I was pleased that Darfur became a topic. Joe Biden had been there and has been a long time advocate for stopping the genocide in Darfur. He has been outspoken about establishing a no-fly zone over Darfur and for supplying the UN-AU mission with much needed helicopters for delivering supplies and providing protection.

Sarah Palin even expressed her support for Darfur, announcing that her state had taken a lead in divesting from companies that do business in Sudan. "When I and others in the legislature found out we had some millions of dollars in Sudan," she stated, "we called for divestment through legislation of those dollars to make sure we weren't doing anything that would be seen as condoning the activities there in Darfur."

That was great, I thought. And then I discovered the truth:

Sarah Palin was lying.

Alaska had not divested from Sudan. In fact, legislators in the Alaskan House of Representatives had tried to pass a bill for divestment but it was killed by Palin's administration. Likewise, a similar bill in the Senate also failed to get out of committee.

So, the fact is, the fund that Governor Palin discussed at the debate does invest in companies that do business with Sudan.

It was a gross lie. A gross lie, indeed.

Shame on you, Governor Palin. Shame, shame, shame.

Crayons and Paper on GRITtv

2008-07-24T22:09:00.003-05:00

Tonight, Crayons and Paper was featured on Laura Flanders' show, GRITtv. Check out the segment below:

"Crayons and Paper"--New Film!

2008-07-02T13:05:00.002-05:00

We have a new film in production! It is called Crayons and Paper and it documents the effects of war on children in Sri Lanka and Darfur. The film runs 30 minutes and is told through the eyes of Dr. Jerry Ehrlich, who has traveled to numerous conflict zones to administer to the children there. He also had the children draw pictures. These images are the focus of the film.

Recently, the Courier Post in south new Jersey did an article about Jerry Ehrlich. That article is below:

Cherry Hill doctor takes 'action'

By KEVIN CALLAHAN
Courier-Post Staff

Bruce David Janu came all the way from Chicago to Cherry Hill to see Dr. Jerry Ehrlich.

"When I first walked out of his office, I felt better," Janu said. "Something rubbed off on me."

Janu didn't come across the country to visit Ehrlich about a physical ailment. Janu, a filmmaker and teacher, wanted to hear Ehrlich's inspiring story.

Ehrlich, 73, is a pediatrician with a practice in Cherry Hill. He also is a volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. He has been to many of the world's hot spots of hatred, including Sri Lanka and Darfur.

While on these missions, Ehrlich took paper and crayons to have children document what they have seen and experienced.

Janu made a 90-minute documentary, "Facing Sudan," that featured many of the drawings Ehrlich brought back with him from Sudan. Janu first saw the drawings in 2005 at Ehrlich's office.

"It was really inspiring," Janu said about his first three-hour meeting with Ehrlich in Cherry Hill. "Not only does he have a lot of compassion, he has a lot of energy."

Ehrlich, who has been practicing since 1966 in Cherry Hill, has been on three missions to Sri Lanka and one mission to Darfur for two months over the summer of 2004.

The United Nations estimates more than 300,000 people have died in Darfur through genocide, the crime of destroying a group of people because of their ethnic, national, racial or religious background.

On his trip to Sudan, Ehrlich took 25 boxes of crayons and 400 pieces of drawing paper. He smuggled out more than 150 drawings done by children ages 8 to 11.

He risked imprisonment if caught leaving Darfur with the drawings. He also took photos he uses for slide shows.

Now, Janu is making a documentary featuring Ehrlich called "Crayons and Paper."

"The new film begins with his first of three missions to Sri Lanka," Janu said. "He went to help kids."

Ehrlich brought back drawings from his initial trip to Sri Lanka.

"It is completely about Dr. Jerry and the children's drawings," Janu said.

Janu said the 30-minute film will be completed in July. He will then submit the film to festivals in the short documentary category.

"The first film was to raise awareness," Janu said about "Facing Sudan," which won two awards in 2007 at film festivals. "The next film was to talk about Dr. Jerry and hopefully inspire other people."

Ehrlich has received requests by the Sudan government not to show these pictures of malnourished and sick children he snapped when he was a volunteer with Doctors Without Borders working with refugees from the Darfur region in western Sudan.

However, he shows the pictures to raise awareness of the continuing genocide in Darfur.

"You don't walk away from Darfur and forget about it," Ehrlich said. "I'm speaking for those who can't speak for themselves, the people of Darfur."

Recently, he took his sad slide show to Haddonfield High School, where German teacher Christopher Gwin organized the Spring Student Summit, titled "Getting Comfy with Genocide: What in the World is Going On?"

Ehrlich received the first of what is intended to be the annual Haddonfield Memorial High School S.T.A.N.D. Humanitarian Award. The award from the high school's Students Take Action Now for Darfur group honors a South Jersey community member of significant distinction who has demonstrated sincere and inspiring commitment to saving Darfurians.

"I sometimes talk to three high schools a week," Ehrlich said.

In July, Ehrlich will take the voices of Darfur to Israel. He will show his slide presentation at the Holocaust Center in Jerusalem on July 8.

Before then, however, Ehrlich will take his video and notebooks to do a documentary on a thousand Darfur refugees now living in Israel.

"It will be a very interesting trip," Ehrlich said. "A thousand Darfur refugees escaped the Sudan through Egypt and marched into Israel. They were originally detained prisoners, but an Israel human rights group got them out and now they are integrated with the Israel society. They are called B'nei Darfur, the Sons of Darfur."

Ehrlich will attempt to document their experiences. He might just learn more, like Janu did.

Janu, who teaches history, sociology and literature at John Hersey High School in Chicago's northwest suburbs, didn't intend to make a full-length feature film about the atrocities in Sudan that led him to meeting Ehrlich. Janu wanted to make a short, educational film in which Brian Burns, a janitor at the school where Janu teaches, discussed his work in Sudan.

Quickly, though, Janu realized the stories about genocide told by Burns were much bigger than he thought.

Burns' aid work in Africa inspired Janu to film a full-length documentary about him and other "ordinary people" who have taken it upon themselves to help Sudanese refugees.

That is when Janu, whose filmmaking was limited to educational films, met Ehrlich.

"A lot of people have compassion, but these people took compassion to the next level to do something," Janu said.

"Facing Sudan" is about activism. The film shows the passion that has spurred ordinary people to dedicate their lives to a country imploded by war and genocide.

Over the last 20 years, millions have died in Sudan. A civil war devastated the South and a genocide is occurring in Darfur.

Ehrlich has been making presentations to schools ever since he smuggled the photos and drawings out of Darfur. Interestingly, he doesn't know where the original drawings are.

"They have a life of their own," he said with a smile. "They keep traveling."

Ehrlich said he last heard the original drawings, which were framed by art students at Temple University, were in Canada at museums.

"I could have never imagined the exposure they have gotten," he said. "I never really looked at them until I got back home. I felt they had to get exposure, but I never could have imagined this much exposure."

Soon the drawings and Ehrlich will get more exposure. More importantly for Ehrlich, the voices of the children of Darfur will be heard.

Reach Kevin Callahan at (856) 317-7821 or kcallahan@courierpostonline.com.

New review in School Library Journal

2008-06-03T10:40:00.003-05:00

Here is the new review of Facing Sudan that appeared in School Library Journal:

Facing Sudan. DVD. 90 min. with tchr’s. guide. Bell, Book & Camera Prods. 2007, 2008 release. $24.95.

Gr 9 Up–Twenty years of bloody internal fighting in Sudan have left millions dead and displaced. Even though high profile celebrities continue to bring the mayhem to the forefront, most of the world’s governments have been unwilling or impotent to intervene in the genocide. This low-key but overwhelmingly powerful documentary shows how individuals can affect the ongoing situation. Interviews with those involved as well as the victims of the violence are supplemented by a powerful collection of video footage, including actual Sudanese military attacks on the populace. Resulting from a seemingly incidental conversation between a young custodian in a suburban Chicago high school and Bruce David Janu, a social science teacher, this timely and touching program provides both a historical context as well as a striking contemporary description of the political, social, medical, and military mayhem in Africa’s darkest corner. One segment on the Lost Boys of Sudan will particularly hit home with younger viewers; be cautioned that there are several instances of graphic images of death and explicit descriptions of events. The film was produced and directed by a teacher who crafted it to be as classroom-friendly as possible with scene selection, English subtitles, several bonus tracks, useful lesson plan suggestions, and a moving soundtrack of original compositions which greatly enhances the spirit of the program. This excellent, award-winning film will definitely have a deep impact on viewers.

Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL -- School Library Journal, 6/5/2008

Facing Sudan Review in Booklist

2008-05-01T07:58:00.003-05:00

The following review appears in the May 1 edition of Booklist:

Facing Sudan.
Jan. 2008. 90min. Bell, Book & Camera, DVD, $24.95.
REVIEW. First published May 1, 2008 (Booklist).

Featuring graphic photographs, home-movie footage, and heartbreaking testimonies, this film is “told through the eyes of ordinary people” who are helping the Sudanese, many of whom are dying of starvation and disease. The camera captures images of these valiant heroes, including a college student who travels to Africa to photograph the Sudanese and stays to pass out medicines and offer comfort to malnourished refugees. A Chicago woman opens her home and heart to “lost boys” who seek a better life in America; a New Jersey doctor leaves his thriving practice to give aid to needy Africans; a high-school girl sends disposable cameras to children in refugee camps who take pictures of family and friends victimized by the ethnic struggle; and a young man returns to his native country to help drill wells that provide clean water for thousands. This moving, eye-opening documentary is a call to action.

— Candace Smith

Meeting Tom and Lorne (Finally)

2008-03-29T10:31:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to meet the songerwriters for Facing Sudan, Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke. After three years of emails and phone calls here and there, it was great finally meeting them face-to-face.

Tom was performing at the Old Lynn Concert series, which is run by Lorne Clarke. His set included "Crayons and Paper," a song from the film.

I met Tom and Lorne online three years ago while searching for music for the movie. Originally, I had envisioned Bruce Cockburn's "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" as the opening song of the film. However, Cockburn's record label never returned my calls.

And that was a very good thing. I ended up stumbling across a site online called Songaweek.com. This site featured music by Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke, including several songs about Darfur and a whole song cycle about the Rwandan Genocide. In fact, Lorne's song, "How Do We Sleep at Night?" from the series on Rwanda became the opening song of Facing Sudan. This song is so much better than the Bruce Cockburn song, for it captures the mood and the feel of the film more than any other song and it introduces a powerful theme that runs throughout the film.

After contacting Tom Flannery for permission to use a song called "It's Called Genocide," Tom replied that I could use the song for free. All that I needed was to properly credit him for the song. He then went on to say that this would be a "a gentleman's agreement." But if I were to appear at the "Oscars with Demi Moore" on my arm or on Larry King with a "new Armani suit," we would have to renegotiate the deal. Needless to say, that never happened. Tom's email did, however, lead to a complete re-envisioning of the film as I soon began to discover more about how music could enhance the film I was trying to make. And in the process, I also discovered two kindred spirits several hundred miles away.

Tom then pointed me to several other songs that could be of use, including some from Lorne Clarke. I soon heard from Lorne, too, who was also enthusiastic about the project. Together, they both offered their services to write more songs as needed.

As the film was coming together, I realized that Tom and Lorne could provide musical continuity to the film. I purposely pulled the planned narration from the film and decided that these two singer/songwriters could provide the needed social commentary through their music. Tom and Lorne's soundtrack holds the film together, linking the images to the emotion. The music thus becomes the conscience of the film.

I could not have made the film without them. And Facing Sudan would not be the film it is without their voices.

Tom and Lorne are both very passionate individuals, using music as a way to comment about politics and life. Understanding that I was tackling this project completely on my own, Tom and Lorne offered all of their music for free use, including all of the songs specifically written for the film. Once a rough cut of the film was complete, I sent the film to Tom and Lorne with suggestions as to where I would like additional music. The two got together then on a Sunday afternoon at Tom's house in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and pushed out the music in a few hours.

The two are very prolific. At Songaweek.com the duo posts music (for free download) every week. Over the last four years, they have had over 1 million downloads.

I encourage all of you to go to the site and give their music a listen. They are both extremely talented individuals who deserve to be heard. It was a pleasure to finally meet them. It was a little strange, however. Although we had not previously met in person, I felt like I had known them for a long, long time.

I am so thankful that three years ago I accidentally stumbled across their music. Today, I count Tom and Lorne among my friends and, in fact, I have become one of their biggest fans.

To view more images of Tom and Lorne from my visit, please go to the Flickr page.

To get acquainted with the music of Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke, please visit their website at SongAWeek.com.

Tom has a new album available online. The album is entitled Love in the Present Tense. This is a great album and is available for download for only $6.99. Take a listen here.

In addition, Lorne's new album, Moonlight and Cider is also available. This album features a great new version of Facing Sudan's title theme, "How Do We Sleep at Night?" Take a listen here.

Don't forget, the soundtrack to Facing Sudan is also available. Download it here.

Film Festival Photos

2008-03-10T12:44:00.002-05:00

I was able to attend several festivals last year at which Facing Sudan screened. I have finally put up some photographs taken at some of those festivals. Enjoy.

Facing Sudan Flickr Site

Facing Sudan Featured in National Council for the Social Studies Publication

2008-03-09T16:01:00.004-05:00

Facing Sudan recently made the front page of The Social Studies Professional. This publication is the official newsletter for the National Council for the Social Studies. I have been a member of NCSS for many years and even presented a few years ago at the annual convention a workshop entitled, "Give Students the Black Death: Using Drama, Poetry and Song in the Classroom." Unfortunately, I recently let my membership lapse---but will soon rejoin! Thanks NCSS for highlighting the film!

A link to the publication can be found here

Want to see a kid with the black death? Click here.

From Sinatra to Sudan---Teacher makes film about war-torn country

2008-01-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

Teacher known for Sinatra gets serious for Sudan documentary

Chicago, January 21, 2008(I-Newswire) - Chicago area history teacher Bruce David Janu never intended to make a feature length documentary about the situation in Sudan. Known for his use of Sinatra in the classroom, including the infamous "Frank Sinatra Detention club," Janu stumbled into feature-filmmaking after meeting Brian Burns, a young janitor at his school.

Burns was sweeping floors on the third shift at John Hersey High School in suburban Arlington Heights when the two crossed paths. They struck up a conversation and when Burns began relating his experiences in Sudan, Janu saw an opportunity for his students.

That chance meeting on a Friday afternoon led not to a speaking engagement in front of a class of freshman, but to a feature documentary entitled Facing Sudan. The film highlights the situation in that war-torn country but is uniquely told through the eyes of ordinary individuals who have made a difference there: a suburban housewife, a 73-year-old pediatrician, a grandmother, a high school student, several Sudanese "lost boys" and, of course, Brian Burns.

"Two years ago, if someone said to me that I would be making a documentary about Sudan," says Janu, "I would have told them they were crazy."

It is Janu's students, however, who think that he is the crazy one. In addition to extra credit Sinatra questions on every test, Janu routinely dresses in costume and dances in front of class in an attempt to get the students interested in history. He sings too. One of his raps about absolutism in Europe even made it on You Tube. His students weren't surprised at his turn as a filmmaker. He had already made several educational videos for his classes over the years and many of his students turned out for the Chicago premiere of Facing Sudan at the Illinois International Film Festival last fall, where it won "Best Documentary."

"I put this film together in my spare time down in the basement," Janu says. "I never thought it would get this much attention." In addition to the long hours, he ended up paying for the film using his credit cards.

Although creating the film was arduous and financially challenging, Janu did have some help. His subjects supplied much of the footage from Sudan and he discovered two singer/songwriters from Pennsylvania, Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke, willing to compose an original soundtrack for the film. Passionate about Sudan, the duo contributed songs completely pro bono, including "Crayons and Paper," a heartbreaking song that accompanies drawings made by children from Darfur smuggled out of Sudan by a pediatrician working with Doctors Without Borders.

Facing Sudan has toured the festival circuit and received much critical acclaim, including two "best documentary" awards.

The film has now been released on DVD by Bell, Book & Camera Productions with several deleted scenes, director commentary and a bonus song by Tom Flannery.

In addition, Janu has provided free lesson plans and discussion questions for Facing Sudan, hoping that it will fulfill his ultimate goals: education and awareness.

"Anyone can make a difference in this world," he says. "Especially if you know what's going on. As more people know about Sudan, the more likely something will be done."

Press kit, artwork and photos from the film are available at the official website at http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html

###

Bell, Book & Camera Productions
PO Box 24
Cary, IL 60013

Tel: 847-721-9222
info@bellbookcamera.com

Other film related sites: http://www.myspace.com/facing_sudan

Songwriters' site: http://www.songaweek.com

Tom Flannery's Site: http://www.tomflannery.com

Lorne Clarke's site: http://www.songaweek.com/lorne/

"Reel Chicago" Article about the film:
http://www.reelchicago.com/archive.cfm?storyID=1628

Information about the Frank Sinatra Detention Club and the director:

New York Times article

Entertainment Weekly article

Children's Photographs from Darfur Featured in Award-winning Documentary

2008-01-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

Yale student and her photographs from Sudan are featured in award-winning documentary, "Facing Sudan"

(Newswire Today) — Chicago, IL, United States, 2008-01-18 - Alice Baumgartner, a sophomore at Yale University, never expected to be in a film about Sudan. Two years ago, however, she was approached by Chicago filmmaker and teacher Bruce David Janu about including her unique photograph collection in a film he was making about Sudan.

And those photographs, featuring children from a refugee camp in Chad who had fled the violence in Darfur, are featured in the award-winning documentary along with the young activist.

The film, entitled Facing Sudan, documents the situation in that war-torn country through the eyes of ordinary people, like Alice, who have made a difference there. The film won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards, first at the Landlocked Film Festival and then at the Illinois International Film Festival.

“The pictures Alice has of these children---taken by children---really highlight the human tragedy that is Darfur,” says Janu, who put the film together over the last two years, paying for the film himself and working long hours in his basement. And he knew he needed to include Alice’s story in the narrative.

As a high school student at the Latin School in Chicago, Alice had wanted to document the situation in Darfur but through the eyes of the region’s most vulnerable victims: the children. After approaching student correspondents from MTV, Alice was able to send two dozen disposable cameras to the war-torn area. They were distributed to children living in a refugee camp in Chad and then sent back to Alice.

The images show the cramped, dusty living conditions of everyday life for refugees fleeing the violence of Darfur. Yet they also capture the attempt by the inhabitants to maintain a sense of normality.

And all of the images are touched with an innocence that only a child’s eye can capture.

"The kids in these pictures,” states Alice, “are real people who are really suffering and who need help.”

In addition to interviews of Alice, the film includes a montage of those photographs set to music written and performed by Pennsylvania native Tom Flannery.

Facing Sudan was recently released on DVD and includes bonus footage of Alice discussing her photographs.

# # #

Related Link: http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
Contact name: Bruce David Janu
Related Link: http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan_clips.html
847-462-5941 / info@bellbookcamera.com

MUSICIANS AND FILMMAKER TEAM UP FOR SUDAN DOC

2008-01-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Pennsylvanian musicians Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke never expected to record a soundtrack for a film. Two years ago, however, they were approached by Chicago filmmaker Bruce David Janu about including a couple of songs on his upcoming Sudan documentary.

Soon they were composing the entire soundtrack.

The film, entitled Facing Sudan, documents the situation in that war-torn country through the eyes of ordinary people who have made a difference there. The film won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards.

The songwriters are well-known throughout northeastern Pennsylvania and contribute songs on a weekly basis to their website, songaweek.com. Since setting up the site, they have had over 1 million downloads. It is through songaweek.com where Janu first came into contact with their music.

"It blew me away," he stated. Initially, Janu asked to use a couple of songs, but soon realized that the duo could provide the musical voice for the entire film. So Flannery and Clarke started writing songs about "Lost Boys," genocide and Sudan. One of Flannery's songs, "Crayons and Paper," accompany heartbreaking drawings from children in Darfur.

And, because of their passion for the issue, they provided the music pro bono.

Now, to commemorate the dvd release of the film, Flannery has written a new song entitled "I Want To" which can be downloaded for free at http://www.songaweek.com.

--------------------------------------------------

For more information about the film and to download the press kit and photographs, visit:

http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html

For more information about the songwriters, visit:

http://www.songaweek.com
http://www.myspace.com/kikomusictomflannery
www.myspace.com/lorneclarke1

PRESS RELEASE: TEACHER DOCUMENTS ATROCITIES IN SUDAN WITH AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY

2008-01-16T09:06:00.000-06:00

CHICAGO Jan. 16, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE)---Chicago area history teacher Bruce David Janu never intended to make a feature length documentary about the situation in Sudan. But then he met Brian Burns and his life changed.

Burns was sweeping floors on the third shift at John Hersey High School in suburban Arlington Heights when the two crossed paths. They struck up a conversation and when Burns began relating his experiences in Sudan, Janu saw an opportunity for his students.

That chance meeting on a Friday afternoon led not to a speaking engagement in front of a class of freshman, but to a feature documentary entitled, Facing Sudan. The film highlights the situation in that war-torn country, but is uniquely told through the eyes of ordinary individuals who have made a difference there: a suburban housewife, a 73-year-old pediatrician, a grandmother, a high school student, several Sudanese "lost boys" and, of course, Brian Burns.

"I spent two years working on this in my spare time down in the basement," he says. In addition to the long hours, Janu ended up paying for the film using his credit cards.

But he did have help. His subjects supplied much of the footage from Sudan and he discovered two singer/songwriters from Pennsylvania, Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke, willing to compose an original soundtrack for the film. Passionate about Sudan, the duo contributed songs completely pro bono, including "Crayons and Paper," a heartbreaking song that accompanies drawings made by children from Darfur smuggled out of Sudan by a pediatrician working with Doctors Without Borders.

"Two years ago, if someone said to me that I would be making a documentary about Sudan," says Janu, "I would have told them they were crazy."

Facing Sudan has toured the festival circuit and has received much critical acclaim, including two "best documentary" awards last fall.

The film has now been released on DVD by Bell, Book & Camera Productions with several deleted scenes, director commentary and a bonus song by Tom Flannery. In addition, Janu has provided lesson plans, hoping that Facing Sudan will fulfill his ultimate goals: education and awareness.

“Anyone can make a difference in this world,” he says. “Especially if you know what’s going on. As more people know about Sudan, the more likely something will be done.”

Press kit, artwork and photos from the film are available at http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html

----------------------------------------------
Contact:

Bruce David Janu
Bell, Book & Camera Productions
Tel/Fax: 847-462-5941
Cell: 847-721-9222
info@bellbookcamera.com

FACING SUDAN now on dvd!

2008-01-06T10:50:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

2007 went by extremely fast. Last year at this time, I was wrapping up the film and starting the film festival submission process. In total, FACING SUDAN screened at 14 film festivals and won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards.

Now, the film is available on dvd for the first time. This is a Special Edition version and contains:

12 extra scenes
Director commentary
English subtitles for the hearing impaired
Theatrical trailer
Bonus song by Tom Flannery entitled, "I Want To"

I made Facing Sudan to help raise awareness about the situation in that war-torn country. Therefore, I have made available a variety of free resources to help people use Facing Sudan for that purpose:

For teachers, a 24 page lesson plan booklet
Facing Sudan discussion questions
detailed "teach-in" instructions
Downloadable Sudan information placards
And much more!

In addition, the purchase price of Facing Sudan includes a a limited public performance license of the film!

Visit the website for more information.

FACING SUDAN WINS!

2007-08-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Facing Sudan, won BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE at the Landlocked Film Festival in Iowa City. The jury was actually split on the decision and we share the award with THE CLINTON 12, a documentary about the first court ordered high school integration in the South.

New FACING SUDAN Trailer

2007-08-05T15:17:00.000-05:00

Here is the new trailer for Facing Sudan.

Notes from Breckenridge

2007-06-10T21:55:00.000-05:00

Facing Sudan screened this weekend at the 27th annual Breckenridge Festival of Film. The festival was hosted by film critic Jeffrey Lyons and showcased a variety of independent films. Facing Sudan screened twice and the response to the film was phenomenal. Several people commented on how they were moved by it. One theater-goer told me that he thought the film should be required viewing for every American.

After the first screening, I had the pleasure to meet Carl Tinstman and his wife Tinbet. Carl had worked for the UN for many years in South Sudan. After the screening, he invited me out to lunch. We were joined by members of the Denver Save Darfur Coalition: Ben, Mary and Mike. We had a great lunch and great conversation about Sudan and what needs to be done there. Thanks again, Carl, for the lunch.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Elaine Bennett. She spoke to the audience for a few minutes about her project of opening a safe-house near Khartoum for Sudanese “Lost Girls.” She and her husband are planning another trip to Sudan this fall to help these homeless girls in Sudan. For more information about her efforts, please visit Mothers Without Borders.

The nice thing about the festival was meeting fellow filmmakers. One filmmaker who I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with was Jay Curlee. His film, Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey, focuses on Delbert McClinton and his annual cruise that showcases some of the best musicians in American independent music. The film not only has some amazing performances, but also some amusing and insightful stories from McClinton and others. The film is a celebration of art unbound by the constraints of a corporate dominated media world. For more information about the film and to view the trailer visit Jay’s website.

I had the opportunity to meet with other filmmakers as well and the experience---my first festival experience—was an overall rewarding one.

Some other highlights from the festival:

A Death at a Funeral. This was the opening night film. Directed by Frank Oz, Death at a Funeral, is a fast-paced farce about a dysfunctional funeral in England. Although full of clichés, the film was truly hysterical; at one point, a scene involving fecal material literally had me in tears. The film opens nationwide on June 29. Check out the website for the film.

Last Stop for Paul. This was a truly amazing film which followed friends Charlie and Cliff on a trip across the world so that Cliff could spread the ashes of his recently deceased friend, Paul and attend the "Full Moon Party" in Thailand. Interestingly, the film was shot with one digital camera on the fly at various locations across the world. Director, writer and star Neil Mandt actually cast locals on the spot to play the various roles the often improvised scripted called for. As a result, Last Stop for Paul is a refreshingly natural and funny look at world travel. You can actually watch the entire film online in web episodes at the official site.

Dirt Nap. One of the weirdest and amusing animated shorts I have ever seen. In fact, I will have to view it several more times to catch all of the zaniness that filmmakers Kirk Reid and Mark Estep put into their 8 year long project. The film is a philosophical look at life and death by following recently deceased Norval as he descends into hell and meets God’s employees, including a crazy clown who works with Death and sports a Canadian accent. Einstein works in hell as well and is very angry with God because the Almighty had given his theory of relativity a resounding “F” grade. Einstein wants revenge. A truly original and funny short, Dirt Nap deserves a look. Even the tagline is funny: "Life sucks, and then you die. And then death sucks." Check out the website.

La Vie en Rose. This French film premiered at Breckenridge and chronicles the life---the sad and tragic life---of Edith Piaf. Told in a non-linear narrative, the film traces Piaf’s sad life from her birth to her death (although her actions in World War II are conspicuously absent). The film is engrossing and the performance by Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf is truly one of the best female performances that I have ever seen in a motion picture. Her performance alone is worth the entrance fee as she literally becomes Edith Piaf. But don’t expect to leave the theater in an uplifting mood as En Vie La Rose is a depressing chronicle of a trainwreck that was Edith Piaf’s life. For more information about the film, visit the official site.

Facing Sudan at the Boston International Film Festival

2007-06-07T23:47:00.000-05:00

Today, Facing Sudan screened at the Boston International Film Festival. Here's what the Boston Weekly Dig said about the film:

Bruce David Janu, a filmmaker and teacher in Illinois, was pulled into the genocidal mess in Sudan through Brian Burns, a custodian at the high school where Janu teaches. Burns’s enthusiasm for aid work in Africa was infectious enough to inspire Janu to film a full-length documentary about him and other ordinary people who have taken it upon themselves to help Sudanese refugees. It’s a departure for Janu, whose filmmaking until now has been limited to amusingly titled educational films like The Adventures of History Guy: Gothic Cathedrals. But his educational background has served him well—he’s meticulous about documenting the haunting horror of the refugees and rescuers alike. Hard will be the conscience that leaves the theater unpricked.

A New Festival

2007-04-30T07:05:00.000-05:00

Facing Sudan has been accepted to the Flint Film Festival. This festival runs from May 17-20 at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan.

That brings the total film festival screenings to six.

More Fests Coming Up!

2007-04-25T07:07:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce that 3 more festivals have picked Facing Sudan as an official selection. Facing Sudan will screen at the following festivals:

Boston International Film Festival
AMC/Loews Boston Commons
175 Tremont St. Boston
June 7, 2007
1-3:30 pm

Breckenridge Festival of Film
June 8, 2007
Screening T.B.A.

South Side Film Festival
June 19-23, 2007
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Screening T.B.A.

We are looking forward to screening in these fests. If you live in the vicinity of any of these fests, let us know.

We may recruit you to hang some posters. :)

Going to Staten Island!

2007-03-08T07:19:00.000-06:00

Facing Sudan is an official selection of the Staten Island Film Festival. The festival runs June 20-24, 2007.

With the selection at Longbaugh, Facing Sudan will now have a screening on both coasts!

Here is the screening information for Longbaugh:

Facing Sudan
Saturday March 31, 2007
12 pm The Living Room Theaters
Portland, Oregon

A detailed schedule for the festival can be found here.

Facing Sudan Soundtrack Now Available!

2007-03-03T08:25:00.000-06:00

The Facing Sudan soundtrack is now available via download from LuLu. The soundtrack features sixteen songs from the film.

Here is what I wrote about the music on the LuLu site:

The music by Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke is nothing short of amazing. The music provides a special complement to the images and words in the film. Tom and Lorne have captured the emotional quality I wanted to have for the film and one listen will tell you that this music was created with passion---passion for not only raising awareness about genocide but also for human rights.

The movie opens with Lorne Clarke's "How Do We Sleep at Night?" This song raises a central question of the film, as Lorne sings with a compassionate bewilderment at society's lack of empathy and action in the face of such horrendous atrocities.

When I first heard Tom Flannery's "Crayons and Paper," I was moved to tears. The song is about drawings made by children in Darfur, brought back to the states by Dr. Jerry Ehrlich. Nothing hits harder than seeing war through the eyes of innocent children.

The soundtrack includes other songs as well: "Lost Boys" tells the story of Sudanese children driven from their homes by war; "Requiem for Butare" recounts an earlier genocide in Rwanda; "It's Called Genocide" takes modern western nations to task for ignoring the situation in Darfur.

There are more songs contained on the soundtrack. Take a listen. You will not be disappointed. I consider myself very lucky to have found Tom and Lorne. Facing Sudan would not be the film it is if it weren't for the work of these two marvelously gifted songwriters.

The soundtrack is only $10 and you can even listen to a preview. The download includes not only the songs but also a digital booklet which inlcudes the lyrics. Help support the songwriters by downloading the soundtrack here: http://www.lulu.com/content/693402

The Longbaugh Film Festival

2007-02-28T15:26:00.000-06:00

The Longbaugh Film Festival will host the premiere of Facing Sudan. Although the schedule has not been published yet, the film will play between March 29 and April 1.

In today's Willamette Week, festival director David Walker had this to say about the festival and Facing Sudan.:

Countdown To Longbaugh 2007

Step into the sunshine of WW's film festival.

BY DAVID WALKER

In case you haven't been paying attention, it's that time of year again...time for WW's Longbaugh Film Festival, presented by Comcast. With only a month until the 2007 festival kicks into high gear (this year, Longbaugh runs March 29-April 1), now is the time for shameless self-promotion. Fortunately, there truly is an incredible selection of films to back up my hyperbolic boast that Longbaugh is the best festival in Portland.

The recent success of the Oscar-winning film Little Miss Sunshine serves as a great reminder for the need to support independent film. The family in the yellow VW, however, was one of those rare exceptions—a minor player called up from the farm leagues to play with the big boys. For every film like Sunshine that manages to sneak past the Hollywood behemoth that dominates the public line of sight, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other great indie films equally deserving of an audience. And that's what Longbaugh is all about: Showcasing films that need to be seen by an audience that wants to be challenged intellectually and emotionally.

Every year Longbaugh features an eclectic mix of features, documentaries and shorts, and the 2007 lineup is no exception. One of this year's highlights is Kenneth Glenaan's Yasmin, an evocative character study of a Pakistani-Muslim woman living in England, attempting to mask her heritage while she tries desperately to fit into British culture. But after 9/11, everything changes for Yasmin and her family, forcing them all to evaluate their roles in the world around them. Bruce Janu's documentary Facing Sudan offers an insightful into the war-ravaged African nation of Sudan, where genocide and civil war have ravaged much of the country. Janu profiles individuals that have struggled to make life better in Sudan, proving that a single person can make a difference.

http://www.wweek.com/editorial/3316/8614/

New Facing Sudan Clip

2007-02-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here is a new clip from the documentary. It is called "Voices from Darfur" and features a song by Lorne Clarke entitled, "Requiem for Butare." The song is from "The Rwandan Song Cycle" by Lorne Clarke and Tom Flannery. The entire song cycle can be found at http://www.songaweek.com/rwanda.

Our First Film Festival!

2007-02-06T14:58:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! It's been awhile since our last post. We have been busily finalizing the film and sending it off to film festivals across the country.

I am pleased to announce that the film has been selected for the Longbaugh Film Festival in Portland, Oregon, March 29-April 1, 2007.

Exact details of the screening will be coming soon. Plus, we will be posting some more clips in the near future. Check back often!

Clip from the Film!

2006-11-21T22:34:00.000-06:00

This clip features Alice Baumgartner. As a student at the Latin School of Chicago, Alice helped found a student activist group dedicated to raising money and awareness about the situation in Darfur. After seeing the documentary, Born into Brothels, Alice got the idea to send cameras to kids living in Darfur and Chad to not only document the lives of people in the conflict, but to do so from the perspective of the children. With the help of MTVu, her group sent 25 disposable cameras with three student correspondents from MTV. Much to her surprise, Alice received 23 cameras back with pictures taken by kids in a refugee camp in Chad.

The pictures are a very personal look at life in a refugee camp---but they aren't your typical pictures. They are pictures taken by children of children. We do not know their names. And we will never know what became of those captured with their cameras.

In this clip, Alice discusses her passion for the cause and we see some of those pictures. Also featured in the clip is music by Tom Flannery. It is a song written for the film entitled, "For Brian Burns."

Currently, Alice is a freshman at Yale University.

Save Darfur's Thanksgiving Campaign

2006-11-21T06:34:00.000-06:00

SaveDarfur.org is running a Thanksgiving Campaign. You are encouraged to speak about Darfur at your family get-together and collect signatures to send to our government to help encourage further action on a situation that is getting worse by the day.

As we sit around our Thanksgiving meals, we need to remember those people struggling in Darfur--those who do not have any food to eat, those who are fleeing violence and rape, those who have lost their homes, children and family to a campaign of genocide by the Sudanese government.

This is the least we can do.

Visit the Save Darfur site to download the materials today.

Facing Sudan's Animator!

2006-11-20T07:08:00.000-06:00

Meet E.J. Lucas. He is the new animator for Facing Sudan.

As many of you know, we are creating several sequences of animation for the film. I thought that animation would provide a stylized element to the film as well as providing a visual for events for which we have no footage. The animation, I think, will truly add a different dimension to the stories being told in Facing Sudan.

E.J. contacted me this summer after reading an article in the local newspaper about the animation that we were attempting. I knew EJ; he was a student of mine several years ago. He is a recent graduate of the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago with a degree in animation. His style is exactly what we were looking for.

EJ is a welcome addition to the film and his work will truly add a unique element to the film.

"I am very excited to be a part of this project," he said. "And hope that my contributions will bring more attention to the cause."

Below you can view a short animation clip that EJ has on his demo reel.

EJ Lucas: supermanimator@hotmail.com

Ryan Spencer Reed

2006-11-12T09:39:00.000-06:00

Ryan Spencer Reed has over 56,000 photographs documenting the plight of the Sudanese people. He has spent months in South Sudan, Darfur, Kenya and Chad. His photographs are a stark reminder of the humanitarian crisis that is occuring in that country.

The first time Ryan went to Sudan, he needed to sell his car in order to pay for the transportation. Today, he leaves for Sudan again. This time to meet with the new vice president (the successor to John Garang) and to hopefully gain access to Darfur.

I stumbled by accident upon Ryan Spencer Reed's website a few months ago and was captivated by his images. We have spoken several times via email and telephone. On Friday night, we met for the first time in person at Northwestern University's STAND conference. Some 36 images of his are on display there and will be traveling the country, raising awareness about the plight of the Sudanese.

He spoke at the conference and presented a moving multimedia presentation of his photographs. You can view that presentation here.

We are please to announce that many of Ryan's images will be included in Facing Sudan. He has a very unique eye and has captured some haunting and heartbreaking images.

Ryan says this about his photographs:

Ultimately, my goal is to create a document which will give a human face to what was once unimaginable but nowadays is shockingly familiar---a genocide unfolding before the eyes of an impotent, dithering world. The cost of doing nothing is one humanity can never afford.

I encourage you to go to Ryan's website. There he has hundreds of images from Sudan.

It will move you.

http://www.ryanspencerreed.com

More photographs can be found at http://www.groupm35.com

Editorial Cartoon

2006-11-04T19:34:00.000-06:00

Ed Stein, November 3, 2006
Rocky Mountain News

TAG:Darfur

Almost a Disaster

2006-11-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

I have been working on this film for over a year now. The editing itself began in earnest earlier this year and we have a rough cut of the film complete. It runs about 90 minutes or so.

The editing is, by far, the most tedious part of the production. But, at the same time, it is also very rewarding as I can see before my eyes the vision of the film---which, up until this point has been contained mainly in the recesses of my brain---come to fruition.

That being said----my heart stopped the other night as I was saving a small edit that I had completed. The computer froze.

And it didn't save.

In fact, once I restarted the computer, the project file would not load at all nor would any of the auto-saved files (I have the program set to save every 10 minutes). I don't know how long I sat, staring at the screen as the load meter that pops up when loading a project file simply stopped at around 90%.

I took a deep breath, walked upstairs and told my wife, "I think I lost the entire film."

I don't even know how many hours I had already sat at that desk editing the film...but for the moment it seemed like all that work was gone.

After trying several more times to load the project without success, I turned off the computer and walked away. In a daze. As if a part of me had been extinguished.

What would I do?

Before going to bed, I turned on the computer and attempted one more time to load the project.

And a miracle happened. After about 20 minutes, the project loaded. I don't know why or how, but the project was back. And I was ready to edit once again.

You realize something in those moments when technology fails: our lives are inexorably linked to our computers.

This incident highlighted one of the strange dichotomies of life in the modern world. To the people of Sudan, computers mean very little--their everyday realities are tied to sustenance and survival. Yet, in order to tell their stories we have to rely on things they do not have access to: email, computers, digital cameras and video, internet and blogs.

Much of what we know coming out of Darfur is from people on the ground--aid workers for the most part---who record and write via the technologies of the industrialized world. It is through this technology that we even know of the plights of these people.

Here are some blogs worth visiting, from those people using this technology to get the word out in hopes that someone out here in the digital wilderness is listening.

Bloggers for Darfur
Sleepless in Sudan
Genocide Intervention Network
Darfur: Hell on Earth
Jan Pronk
Coalition for Darfur
Sudan Watch

Tag:Sudan

New Podcast!

2006-10-24T00:34:00.000-05:00

This last summer, I appeared on a local radio program called Vantage Point. The program airs on Sunday mornings on 101.9 FM in Chicago. On this particular program, I discussed not only the film, but the teaching of genocide in school. For those of you who could not get up at 6 am when it aired, the entire program is available via podcast.

Click on this link to listen to the program: http://www.switchpod.com/p3268.html

Downward Spiral in Darfur

2006-10-23T20:41:00.000-05:00

This is the image that greeted readers of the New York Times this morning.

The situation is growing worse as all sides have given up on the peace agreement signed last May. One rebel leader said, "It is all-out war. There are no agreements." Now called the National Redemption Front, the new rebel organization has had some recent success against the Sudanese government, prompting the government to take a very defensive stand. Yesterday, the government expelled Jan Pronk, the U.N. envoy to Sudan, for making public comments about the rebel victories.

In its desperation, the government has been making some outrageous claims as it tries to muster support from Arab allies in North Africa and the Middle East. Omar al-Bashir not only blames the United States for plotting to steal Sudan's oil, but claims that the stories coming out of Darfur are "fictions" enacted by Jews. "Those who made the publicity, who mobilized the people, invariably are Jewish organizations,” he said.

This only means one thing: civilians in Darfur will suffer even more. Most likely, the Sudanese government will once-again unleash the janjaweed upon defenseless villages. This is the time of the year: the rainy season has ended and roads once again are passable.

Already in Darfur upwards of 400,000 people have died and millions have been displaced from their homes. The killing is not going to end----and the Darfurians know it. As one rebel leader stated: "The international community will not do it. So it is for us to protect the innocent civilians of Darfur."

As we put the final touches on the film, news like this makes things very difficult. I have purposefully avoided narration in the film, instead relying on the words of my subjects and the images from Sudan to tell the story. Along with the music, it is my hope to be able to place the conflict into perspective and give viewers what they need to know about the situation.

In the film, there is an historical montage about Darfur set to a song by Tom Flannery entitled, "It's Called Genocide." (Which you can download here) For me, this is one of the most challenging segments in the film---one that I keep putting off completing. The situation in Darfur changes on an almost daily basis and, with the more reading and research that I complete, the more complex the situation becomes. I wish the film to be as timely as possible as it needs to be completed by the end of December.

At the same time, we need to tell the complete story---to raise awareness of the situation there so that more pressure can be placed on our government to do something---anything---to end the ongoing genocide there.

We owe it to the people of Darfur. We owe it to ourselves.

Tag:darfur,sudan

Things are Getting Worse in Darfur

2006-10-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

The Sudanese government is duplicitous. In an effort to deflect international criticism, the government signed a peace deal last May with two of the three rebel groups in Darfur. This seemed to placate many in the West as news coverage of the crisis in Darfur declined. That was the plan. And it worked.

After the signing of the treaty, the death toll rose as did the level of violence.

Today, the government of Sudan kicked out U.N. envoy, Jan Pronk, over remarks he made in his blog about the violence in Darfur. Pronk has been a vocal proponent of bringing 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers to the troubled region of Darfur and his remarks, according ot the Sudanese government, amount to "psychological war against the Sudanese army."

Welcome to the Facing Sudan Blog

2006-10-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Facing Sudan blog. Here you will find up-to-date information regarding the film and showings. In addition, here you will also find information about the current situtation in Sudan.

Check back often as we will be providing many updates.