PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL

Directed By Virginia Reticker

Review By Shane Morton

Sometimes, well ok… a lot of the time, I feel extremely sheltered here in the USA.  Things….horrible and awful things happen in other countries that are difficult to “put yourself in their shoes”.  You would assume that our media would cover all important events, but that is just but so.  As director Virginia Reticker mentioned, “A picture of a child with a gun is an easier sell than a woman praying or protesting.”

Liberia was in a horrible civil war for many, many years.  The man who was the countries leader and the “warlords” who united to overthrow him committed many horrible atrocities on the people of Liberia (Side Note: Liberia was founded in the 1800’s by a group of freed slaves from the USA).  After many years of murder, rape, thievery and fear, a single woman started a movement that would rock the nation and bring the perpetrators to their knees.

Christian and Muslim women joined forces and protested without violence asking for an end to the bloody civil war.  They bring both warring factions miraculously to the bargaining table for peace talks and at one time even trap them inside the room to make them understand the seriousness of the women’s movement and the real need for peace.  An agreement is finally signed and the women help the UN peacekeeping forces keep the peace, disarm the “warriors”, who for the most part are children and elect in a historic election the first female president of an African nation.

The film is co-produced by Abigail Disney, which gives me hope that this important and worthwhile documentary will reach a wider audience.  Virginia Reticker has been able to cull amazing archival footage from various news sources and combined it with some very powerful and emotional interviews from the women who stood up, sat down and changed the course of an entire nation.  It is a film that every person who wishes they could impact change within their lives and the lives of others should see.

Now, back to the fact that I was truly unaware that these events in Liberia occurred in the way that they did…  Perhaps in the future, our media will go back to covering the events and facts with no spin.  And we will be able to celebrate, as a world, the people who stand up for what they believe and create peace.