Half a World Away: “African Soul, American Heart”

I’ve gained meaningful friendships with the group members and an intimacy with the people of Duk Payuel, Sudan, through the editing process. Working with the footage so intensely, I really feel a connection. They’ve made a difference in my life; I hope we can make a difference in theirs,” says Matt McGregor, the cinematographer and editor of the soon-to-be premiered film, African Soul American Heart (ASAH).
Last year’s viewing of “God Grew Tired of Us” previewed the documentary, African Soul American Heart. Today, a mere 13 months later, four members of the crew have been to Africa to see firsthand what is happening in Southern Sudan and to see how the orphaned children can best be served. This film represents the experience of the trip and one person’s goal to make a difference.
ASAH tells the story of Duk Payuel today. “These people don’t want our pity, they just want a chance to be educated, to build their community, to build their country, and lead full lives,” says Kevin Brooks, a professor at NDSU and a producer of the documentary. It depicts the current joy and hardship of a people who have endured unimaginable horrors and lived to come home. It also tells the story of one young man’s desire to make a difference half way around the world.

“I think the Fargo Moorhead community will be interested in seeing that one of its ‘adopted’ citizens is doing everything he can to help out his home village, and I hope people see that Joseph Akol Makeer’s (a Lost Boy from Sudan) instinct is the same instinct that kicks in around here every spring when there is a flood. People just go help their neighbor or their community, no questions asked. I think communities that see what Joseph is trying to do will want to help him, and in the process I think the communities will learn about Africa as well as the refugees and immigrants living among them,” continues Brooks.

In addition to McGregor, Brooks and Makeer, Deb Dawson, the executive producer and principal writer of the film, also went to Africa last December. Never having been to Africa and armed with some film-making experience, Deb jumped into the role of taking charge of the project.

She recalls, “There was no ASAH when I met Joseph. He told me he wanted to make a movie about the suffering that was happening today in his country where thousands were returning to their war-devastated villages after years in refugee camps. He was particularly concerned about the many war orphans who have no one to care for them. He thought if he could make a movie and show this to Americans, they might want to help these children.”

Dawson contacted Greg Carlson, a professor at Concordia in film studies and another producer of the film. For Carlson, the prospect of working on a project like this was motivation enough to join. He says, “I love opportunities to work with creative, dedicated artists. It is fulfilling on many levels to share the product of hundreds of hours of labor.”

For Dawson, one of the surprises of Africa was the incredible sensory imagery. Noting “the friendliness of the people, the tremendous color, the joyful ululating of the women, and the way music permeates their daily lives,” the entire soundtrack of the film is comprised of recordings of music, from the trip, performed by Sudanese in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, and Duk Payuel, South Sudan.

This film is another step towards globalizing the Fargo Moorhead area as well as an inspiration to act.

For Carlson, the film “can motivate people to take the popular phrase ‘think globally, act locally’ and invert it to read ‘think locally, act globally.’ Our community is now home to many people displaced from their native countries by armed conflict and political instability. They are friends, neighbors, and co-workers to us in Fargo, but they have left behind loved ones thousands of miles away. They are connected to the place from where they came and want to rebuild. We can help them to make that happen.”

Kevin Brooks concurs, “If we were just one little group working in southern Sudan, I’d say we could make a small difference in one small village. But ASAH is now part of a larger collective, The Hope of Sudan; about 15 groups like ours are working together to share ideas and resources, build schools, dig wells, and set up clinics all over southern Sudan.

“Joseph and his generation of Sudanese men and women are doing everything in their power to rebuild their home country, and I am confident that they will succeed. ASAH will be able to play a valuable role in the collective.”

For more information, go to www.africansoulamericanheart.org

If You Go

What: African Soul, American Heart
Where: Fargo Theatre
When: Sun, Nov 9, 1 & 7pm
How Much: $10
Who: All ages
Info: 701.478.7800