Country:Sierra Leone

Director:Mohamed Sheriff

Program:African Panorama

Summary:

This story was inspired by actual happenings during and after the civil war when there were lots of reprisals involving child combatants who were forcibly conscripted into the fighting forces and made to commit atrocities against their own people including close family members. Some of these were at best ostracized, and worst physically punished, sometimes to death.

Country:Sierra Leone

Director:Munda Pangu

Program:African Panorama

Summary:

It is Christmas time… with toy guns and real guns: “We don’t want to be reminded of the past”. Toy Gun explores the position of the rebellion and their return to society. Ï don’t understand you… the war is far from over”.

Country:Sierra Leone

Director:Brian James

Program:African Panorama

Summary:

The Cursed Ones is based on the theme of post war reconciliation after the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone. It is a story about an ex combatant who tries to build a new life for himself in a small village community. The villagers, however, see him as a representation of their suffering during the war and are unforgiving. They treat him like an outcast. In that same village lives a girl who is now mute due to the trauma and finds herself drawn to the boy.

Country:Sierra Leone

Director:John Solo Fofannah

Program:African Panorama

Summary:

Scars tells the story of a young ex-combatant who is unable to find work becuaseof the stigma and fear attached to ex-combatants in the post-conflict world of Sierra Leone. The scars that he has on his face (the initials of the RUF) prevent employers from trusting him and it’s only when he tries to take them off that he learns that the real scars needed for society to heal are on the inside. As he says, “the sole aim in making ‘scars’ is to wipe out the scars of  a 10-year long civil war.

Country:Sierra Leone

Director:Jonathan Bundu

Program:African Panorama

Summary:

A boy called Hindolo ends up on the streets where he meets Olso and his gang, who are notorious pick-pocketers. For Hindolo to sleep on one of the market stalls he must do what they do. This conflicts with his conscience as he believes in working hard to earn his money. When he learns the tricks of their trade and successfully steals a wallet, he returns it to the victim. Eventually he confronts Olso and defeats him for the crown as King of the Stalls.