News

Montreal — Monday, January 28, 2008

“Sheds light on one of the worst human catastrophes of our time.” — Amnesty International

“Political and poetic.” — Télérama, France

“Excellently shot and alarming." — Eye for Film, UK

“A lovely film, quietly observant yet inwardly seething at the injustice served upon the most defenseless of all those affected by a 20-year conflict in northern Uganda — the children.” **** — The Gazette, Montreal

ATOPIA is pleased to announce that Montreal filmmaker Catherine Hébert’s documentary feature, The Other Side of the Country, will hit North-American DVD shelves on February 5th, 2008!

Since its World Premiere at the Namur Francophone Film Festival in 2007, The Other Side of the Country was presented in the official selection of the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August 2007, and has won the Audience Choice Award at Montreal’s 10th Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire.

The population is the battleground in “one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world,” where war continues between rebels and the Ugandan government. As rebels abduct and force children and adults into their ranks, thousands flood into towns searching for security. In response, the government forces 1.7 million people into camps in an attempt to cut off the rebel’s supplies and recruits. Instead of protection, the camps offer disease and death.

The film captures the realities of war in northern Uganda through the interconnected stories of five people, including: a mother turned activist after her daughter’s abduction; a young girl traveling miles daily looking for a safe place to sleep; a 7 year old boy who moved onto the streets to survive; and an increasingly outspoken and courageous man whose job takes him to the heart of the war.

Catherine Hébert’s documentary overwhelms the viewer with its fluid, breathtaking images of the devastated remains of villages and poignant scenes of stark poverty. The film recounts the appalling experiences of the war’s victims and anti-war activists; by means of their testimonies, alternated with interviews of government officials broadcast on the radio, Hébert raises questions about the role played by Ugandan political leaders in this conflict: Who does this war benefit? Does the government really want to put an end to it? How can innocent children be spared from the threat of the rebels and be assured a safe future in their country?

Look for ATOPIA’s DVD release of The Other Side of the Country, in stores on February 5th, 2008. For further information, please visit the film’s official website. For information on other ATOPIA titles, please visit www.atopia.com or MySpace page at www.myspace.com/atopiaspace.

News posted Monday, January 28, 2008.