The film won the Tribeca Festival award for Best New Narrative Filmmaker, and it's my pick for film of the festival. Taking on the complex and tragic story of Liberia's recent social and political struggles, the director managed to create a narrative that was neither soul destroying or unrealistically positive; and to tell an adult, inspiring story which makes it clear that there are no easy solutions to hard problems.
The films title is taken from one of the women interviewed during the film, who comments that former warlord Charles Taylor, president of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, was so publicly devout that he appeared to be able to pray the devil back to hell. Unfortunately, at the same time he also seemed to be largely unconcerned about the wholesale rape, murder and toucher of ordinary Liberian people, or his involvement in the use of child soldiers. The film focuses on the achievements of the women of Liberia, who came together across religious divides to confront Taylor and the oppositional warlord-run factions to bring peace to their country. Their nonviolent protest contributed to a sea change in national politics and to the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state. It's an amazing story, which avoids being sentimental or sensationalist, and manages to give you hope while reminding you that in life, there are no easy, or entirely happy, endings.
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