The Devil Came On Horseback (2007)

The Devil Came On Horseback

A well-made film focusing on the passionate and heart-breaking story of Brian Steidle and the genocide in Darfur. It is an excellent way to begin or continue informing yourself about the issue. By following a single person through their journey in Sudan, chronicling their emotional reactions and their struggling efforts for change, it brings the issue to a level where it can be processed amidst the desensitization that has occurred as a result of modern media. The direct accounts of the tragedy - through photos, video and a compelling narrative - help to humanize the conflict and let us begin to see this not just as a loss of numbers from a population, but as a killing of single beings. Though it is sometimes an uncomfortable watch, it is essential. June 25, 2008

The Devil Came on Horseback

This is a must see documentary for anyone concerned with what is really happening in Darfur. I found it very moving and accurate without resorting to over the top visualizations. *This a a very graphic depiction of the Genocide happening in Darfur but the film does not focus only on gruesome visuals. The story is very well told and seems to be a true depiction of the daily life and continuous violence faced by the people of the region. The interviews with members of the Janjaweed were of particular interest to me, I found them eerily disaffected by what they are doing every day. June 4, 2008

A Great Challenge

Everyone should see this presentation. Brian Steidle brings to the attention of everyone the travesty occurring in Darfur. May 27, 2008

The Devil Came on Horseback

This documentary was incredible! The footage left me speechless! This movie has made me more aware and knowledgeable. You cannot watch this movie without feeling the need to do something to help. It is inspiring and shows how one person, just one person can make a difference. A definite must see. This film should be shown in all schools to educate the students so that in the future they may make a difference in the world! May 21, 2008

Heart-wrenching documentary

Former Marine Captain Brian Steidle got a job in 2004 without much prior knowledge to monitor the ceasefire in Darfur for the African Union. Little did he know he would be walking into one of the biggest human rights travesties in recent history.

After two decades of war, a cease-fire in Darfur is not being followed. The present-day Muslim government restricts Darfur development, and the only hope the black Africans have is two meagerly supplied rag-tag armies (Sudanese Liberation Army and Justice and Equality Movement). Unfortunately for the black Africans, they are up against the Janjaweed, a government trained, supplied, and supported militia that raids the villages in Darfur and is responsible for the majority of the crimes. Janjaweed, which literally translates as "Devil on Horse", get paid in loot; in other words, they get what they steal, pillage, and plunder. They take more than material possessions, also taking the purity of females, and the hearts of villagers via the destruction of daily life.

Where this story gets even more nefarious is when the details of the oil deal with China are uncovered. Not only is China refining the majority of the oil in Darfur, they are also the means by which the Muslim-led government gets the funding to continue the suppression of black Africans, continuing to flout the cease-fire's mandates.

Through Steidle's photographs, movies, stories, first-hand knowledge, and perserverance, this message has been given a larger stage than it ever would have previously. Hopefully, this is just the first step towards awareness. May 20, 2008

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