Langston Whitfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is a Washington Post journalist. His editor sends him to South Africa to cover the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, in which the perpetrators of murder and torture on both sides during Apartheid are invited to come forward and confront their victims. By telling the unvarnished truth and expressing contrition, they may be granted amnesty.  Can the deep wounds of Apartheid be healed through reconciliation?

Anna Malan (Juliette Binoche) is an Afrikaans poet who is covering the hearings for radio.  As a white South African she is shattered by the accounts of the cruelty and depravity committed by her fellow countrymen.  Anna and Langston must both question their sense of identity. Where do they each belong? How responsible are they for what is done in the name of their respective countries?

It is a story charting the unfathomable depths of human cruelty and the redeeming power of forgiveness and love.

Why?
Due to our work within Orange County for Darfur, we have had the privilege of becoming friends with several from the Sudanese community in San Diego. Over the course of time, conversations revealed that accomplishing their goal of creating a healthy, unified Sudanese community was not going to be easy. While most groups struggle to find consensus, traumatized populations can find it even more difficult. Having survived living in a conflict zone, being in the relative safety of the U.S. may not be sufficient for past traumas to spontaneously heal. Insomnia, nightmares, and chronic mistrust of others are only a few of the very common experiences that often persist long-term. 

This event is an initial attempt to reach out to the wider Sudanese refugee community in San Diego, introduce ourselves and discuss the concept of "Ubuntu" that is at the heart of our work in Living Ubuntu. Our ultimate goal is to launch a Trauma Recovery Program for refugees, immigrants and victims of domestic violence.  This screening is intended to open a dialogue about reconciliation and healing.

If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.
– Pearl Buck

All donations collected at this event will help the Sudanese-American Youth Center of San Diego become an IRS designated 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

• Sudanese-American Youth Center of San Diego
• St. Luke's Episcopal Church
• Living Ubuntu

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.  Or call us at (949) 891-2005.

[ In My Country, official movie website ]

[ Sudanese-American Youth Center of San Diego ]
[ Living Ubuntu ]