Lost Boys of Sudan (2004)
90%RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 3 nominations
Lost Boys of Sudan is a documentary that manages to capture the complexity and sophistication of the experiences of young refugees. While shot on video and with a PBS-like aesthetic, the film offers a riveting look at the hurdles faced by two refugees as they adjust to life in the United States. The film’s ability to trade in hope and humor, rather than despair, is a testament to its ability to offer a detailed look at the lives of these young men. While some critics have noted that the film fails to address the magnitude of the horror unfolding in the Sudan, Lost Boys of Sudan is a moving and poignant document that offers a unique perspective on the refugee experience.
The Lost Boys of Sudan is a documentary that will make you laugh, cry, and question everything you thought you knew about the world. Shot on video and with a PBS vibe, it follows the journey of two refugees as they adjust to life in the United States. From the absurdity of a garbage disposal to the heartbreak of leaving family behind, this film captures the complexity of their experiences. While it may not delve into the larger political issues at play, it offers a glimpse into the lives of two remarkable young men. Get ready to be inspired and have your heartstrings tugged!
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Houston, Texas, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2003
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, Arabic, Dinka, Swahili
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 18, 2004 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 20, 2009
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Lost Boys of Sudan, documentary, Santino Majok Chuor, Peter Nyarol Dut, directed by Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk, written by Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk, produced by Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk, colonialism, civil war, refugee camp, United States, adoptive families, school, menial jobs, stability, adjustment, English, $120.7K, 95% Tomatometer, 83% audience score, reviewed by Richard Nilsen, Ted Fry, Robert Denerstein, Michael Booth, Jeff Strickler, Roger Moore, Phil Villarreal, David Sterritt, Karen Karbo, Marty Mapes, Jeffrey Bruner, rated PG-13
Worldwide gross: $188,467
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $305,481
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,849
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 33,313
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Peter Kon Dut – Self
Megan Mylan – Director, Producer
Jon Shenk – Director, Producer
Director(s)
Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Megan Mylan, Jon Shenk
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 3 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (2)
Shot on video, and with the look of a PBS entry, it nevertheless manages to function on several levels — all of them complex and sophisticated.
August 26, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Richard Nilsen
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
Culture shock is hopelessly inadequate to describe the experience of the young subjects of the riveting documentary Lost Boys of Sudan.
August 6, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ted Fry
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
Offers an opportunity to see a good movie and learn something about an issue that has received far too little attention in the U.S. press.
July 23, 2004 | Rating: B
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
It might help you understand an unfamiliar face walking toward you on the street, and that’s a great accomplishment for any film.
July 23, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Booth
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
A documentary about two refugees who come to the United States, it offers a detailed look at the hurdles they face but makes no attempt to analyze, explain or advocate changes that would help them.
June 24, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/4
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Lacking that exotic ‘foreign’ focus and by failing to address the hardships of their early lives, we’re left with a routine film about teenagers making mistakes or growing up too fast.
June 4, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
The documentary trades in hope and humor, rather than despair.
February 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
A riveting movie.
December 2, 2004 | Rating: 4/4
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor
The scenes of Peter and Santino’s adjustment to life in Houston — a garbage disposal does what? — are at once quotidian, poignant and absurd.
September 17, 2004 | Rating: B+
Karen Karbo
Oregonian
In spite of their streets-paved-with-gold expectations, there is no Heaven on Earth
July 28, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit
The film also doesn’t get across the magnitude of the horror unfolding in the Sudan.
July 16, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
Jeffrey Bruner
Des Moines Register
This is a very moving filmed document.
July 2, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeff Vice
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)…
Plot
Lost Boys of Sudan follows the journey of two orphaned Sudanese boys as they travel from a refugee camp in Kenya to the United States to start a new life, but struggle to adjust to their new surroundings.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film on Fresh Kernels.
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