ON CIRCUIT: The moving documentary God Grew Tired of Us, as well as Planet Terror and Vantage Point.
God Grew Tired of Us
In the late 1980s, 27 000 Sudanese ‘lost boys” marched barefoot across the country in search of a safe haven from the brutal civil war. Many died from bombing raids and starvation; others ended up in Kenya’s Kakuna refugee camp. This documentary takes us through the journey of three of those young men — John, Daniel and Panther — on their voyage to a new world after they are invited to settle in the United States. It is moving and humbling to watch their adaptability, as well as their strong will not to forget their roots and those they’ve left behind. — Nosimilo Ndlovu
Planet Terror
Robert Rodriguez’s half of the Grindhouse project more than stands up to Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof (the other half — before they were split back into single features thanks to commercial failure). In fact, this ultra-squelchy zombie movie is considerably more entertaining and keeps much better faith with the exploitation genre it’s supposedly emulating. Rose McGowan is a suitably slinky presence as the lead avenger with a machine gun for a leg; blood and pus regularly fill the screen as Rodriguez lets rip with gleeful abandon. There’s a lot of fun here. — Andrew Pulver