5/5 Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars free outdoor concert in Hanover NH
  by I. Wheeler (NH)
I am rating this dvd as a 5 dispite the fact that I haven't even seen it. Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars performed today on the Dartmouth common. Their music is a joyful blend of instruments and musical styles and beats. They are simply amazing. I am searching for their cd now. Many thanks to the sponsors of this fine (and free to the public) concert. And kudos to these talented musicians for inspiring us to give peace a chance.

5/5 Music and shattered lives . . .
  by Ronald Scheer (Los Angeles)
This short documentary about a band of refugee musicians is more about civil strife and man's inhumanity to man than it is about music. While hearing accounts of murder and mutilation and seeing images of men and women without hands and arms, we learn of the decade-long civil war in the West African country (and former British colony) Sierra Leone, where hostilities finally ebbed in 2002. And we learn of the flight of refugees to camps in nearby Guinea, where they survive on humanitarian aid from UNHCR.

A group of musicians emerge from this nightmare to tell their story in song, eventually returning home to Freetown, where they meet up with other musicians, old friends who have somehow kept alive in poverty-stricken areas of the ruined city. As the film ends, they are cutting an album that they hope will help launch a career to support themselves. Aspirations take on excited new dimensions as they are invited to perform in the U.S. A follow-up featurette brings them to 2007, and we watch them on stage in an outdoor concert.

The DVD includes a number of their songs, laced with sorrow, anger, and humor. It's especially interesting to watch as their songs evolve over time and take on new energy and musical focus. Like other films about the healing and life-sustaining power of music (such as "Favella Rising"), this one leaves a memorable imprint on the heart. It's a testament to both the tenacity and the fragility of the human spirit in the face of life-shattering trauma.

5/5 Suffering Transformed by Music
  by Dr. Thomas E. Parker (Chico, CA)
This is a compelling and ultimately uplifting documentary about refugees from the civil war in Sierra Leone who come together in a refugee camp in Guinea, create a band, and begin to transform their suffering into beautiful music. The documentary includes images of war torn Sierra Leone, as well as the stories of the members of The Refugee All Stars, so there are some very disturbing segments. If you are interested in learning more about this I also recommend a book by Ishmael Beah "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier."

5/5 Amazing!
  by J .T. (CO)
This film is a must see for anyone who needs a jolt of inspiration. When all seems grim there truly is something more important; the simplicity of life found in understanding and forgiveness. I can't recommend this film enough!

5/5 Uplifting and touching film
  by California
This movie is a beautiful film about people rising above a tragic situation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have recommended it to all of my friends. Definitely worth viewing.