Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

Uplifting and courageous, this dramatic seven-time award-winning film by Zach Niles and Banker White tracks the journey of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars — a group of six musicians who formed a band after being displaced from their home during the brutal decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone — as they rise from the ashes of war and inspire a nation to believe in the healing power of music.

SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS follows band mates Reuben Koroma, Francis “Franco” Langba, Efuah Grace, Mohammed Bangura, Arahim Kamara and Alhadji “Black Nature” Kamara through their tour of local refugee camps, debut recording session and painful return to their country for the first time since the war. The band’s sound, a mixture of home-grown beats from West Africa, roots-reggae and Western-influenced rhythm and blues combined with heartfelt lyrics which condemn war and encourage social change, have been praised around the world, leading to the band’s first American tour.

DVD Features

Featurette: Refugee Rolling - this short film picks up the band's story as they prepare for their first journey to America and quickly become an international musical sensation; Deleted Scenes; Musical Moments; About ninemillion.org; Theatrical Trailer

Awards

2005 AFI Fest: Documentary Award Winner

"It's as easy to fall in love with these guys as it was with the Buena Vista Social Club."
- Newsweek

"As harrowing as these personal tales may be, the music buoying them is uplifting."
- The New York Times

©2005 SodaSoup Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Art and Design ©2007 New Video Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Marketed and distributed in the U.S. by New Video.

Posted in Docurama, Festival Standouts, The Black Experience | Tagged activism, africa, blues, music, war