Omo Child: The River and the Bush
For many generations people in the Omo Valley (tribal southwest Ethiopia) believed some children are cursed and that these 'cursed' children bring disease, drought and death to the tribe. The curse is called 'mingi' and mingi children are killed. Lale Labuko, a young educated man from the Kara tribe was 15 years old when he saw a child in his village killed and also learned that he had 2 older sisters he never knew who had been killed. He decided one day he would stop this horrific practice. Filmed over a five year period we follow Lale's journey along with the people of his tribe as they attempt to change an ancient practice.
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Reviews
Best movie ever!
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
"Omo Child: The River and the Bush" is a truly remarkable documentary film that I saw last weekend at the Oceanside International Film Festival. The film focuses on the efforts of Lale, a young member of the Kara tribe in Ethiopia who challenges tribal elders to end the practice of killing children declared as "mingi" (cursed), because it's believed that "mingi" children bring famine and disease. Faced with death threats, Lale and his wife, with the help of a team of concerned young people, begin rescuing the "cursed" children by asking the parents' permission to take the children to a makeshift child rescue facility called Omo Child. The film is informative and truly riveting and shows how small team of passionate, committed individuals was able to fight tradition and save lives. "Omo Child: The River and the Bush" should be widely released so that it may be seen worldwide. Its message will stay with you for a long time.
After watching this film at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2015, I was left absolutely dumbfounded by the incredible story told by this film. A rare look into a culture unknown to the world was a wonder to behold but to find out the truth about mingi was incredibly emotional. I thought the filmmakers did a great job to not rely on shock value and instead focused on telling an interesting and heart-wrenching story.After the screening the filmmakers were kind enough to field our questions and stayed long after the scheduled time to speak with anyone who wanted to learn more. These are genuinely good people that are genuinely great filmmakers and I can't recommend Omo Child enough!
This is a riveting movie which demonstrates how one man's passion and commitment can create great change in a community. I saw this movie at the Cleveland International Film Festival and was blown away. This documentary introduces us to an ancient ritual practice in an African tribe in which children suffering from a curse called "mingi" are killed to ensure the village does not suffer an adverse fate. Lale Labuko is a young tribesman whose father takes the extraordinary step of sending his son out of the village to get educated, contrary to the wishes of the tribal elders. Upon graduation, Lale pursues the ambitious goal of eliminating these ritualistic killings from his own and neighboring villages. This film documents his efforts, including its trials and tribulations, and is a compelling and incredibly thought-provoking account of the steps he and others have taken to save and create a future for these condemned children. I highly recommend this film to anyone interested in learning about other cultures or how they can effect change in their community.