Washington, DC - Early last month, my colleagues at 18th Street Films and I traveled to Kenya and Sudan to film the second part of a documentary on Emmanuel Jal, Emmanuel’s War, Emmanuel’s Peace. Emmanuel was a child soldier in Sudan and is now an emerging hip-hop star with a message of peace for his battered homeland and beyond. It was an extraordinary journey.

Emmanuel wanted to seek out his past to help understand his future. He had not seen many members of his family in more than two decades, and we helped him facilitate a reunion. His homecoming prompted a spontaneous procession of well-wishers, accompanied by dancing and drums, and a goat was butchered in his honor. Read more