Film Review: Pray the Devil Back to Hell

I think one of the most powerful vehicles for helping us to understand global issues is film. And one of the most powerful documentary films I have ever seen is Pray the Devil Back to Hell (recommended to me by my friend Laura, to whom I am indebted). Here's the trailer:



Pray the Devil Back to Hell is set in Liberia, a West African nation with a tumultuous history. After decades of civil war, Liberia had become a country that could hardly remember peaceful times. This documentary chronicles a group of "ordinary" women who, in the late 1990s, decided that they had had enough of war. They decided to stand up for peace. Groups of Christian and Muslim women came together to protest and lobby. At first they were hardly acknowledged, but with persistence and creativity these women managed to make their voices heard at the highest levels of government, and they changed their country in powerful ways.

My husband and I saw this film at a film festival in Boston, and we were absolutely blown away. It is a story of human brutality, but also the enduring power of hope. And about women, and sisterhood, and not giving up. (Incidentally, the current president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is the first elected female head-of-state in Africa.)

This is from the website (which is worth visiting even just to hear Angelique Kidjo's gorgeous theme music): Tribeca Film Festivals' Best Documentary Award-Winning Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the gripping account of a group of brave and visionary women who demanded peace for Liberia, a nation torn to shreds by a decades-old civil war. This incredible, uplifting story has also earned awards at Silverdocs (Witness Award), Jackson Hole Film Festival (Audience Choice: Documentary), Traverse City Film Festival (Special Jury Prize: Non-fiction Filmmaking), and the Heartland Film Festival (Best Documentary). Desmond Tutu, Winner 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, says that Pray the Devil Back to Hell"...eloquently captures the power each of us innately has within our souls to make this world a far better, safer, more peaceful place."

Depending on where you live, it may be difficult to get access to this film. You can click here for information on theaters and special events in cities across the country. Even if you don't see it coming to a theater near you, though, please keep your eyes open for this film in the future. It really is a must-see.