War Witch (2012)Rebelle (original title)
Cast: Rachel Mwanza, Alain Bastien,
Director: Kim Nguyen
Screenwriter: Kim Nguyen
Director of photography: Nicolas Bolduc
Very dark phenomenon of child military slavery.
A sensitive drama that deserves credit for exposing a disturbing real subject without trying to be shocking or melodramatic...
Montreal-based filmmaker Kim Nguyen paints a poignant and harrowing portrait of Komona, a 14-year-old girl (wonderfully played by nonprofessional actress Rachel Mwanza) who has been kidnapped from her African village by rebels to become a child soldier. She escapes from the camp with an older albino soldier and experiences for the very first time the joys of a peaceful and loving life, but a fresh tragedy will force her to confront and fight the ghosts haunting her mind.
Kim Nguyen spent nearly a decade researching this docu-drama about child soldiers in Africa, and the film feels as authoritative as a first-hand account.
