Liberia has recently received considerable press coverage for the trial of warlord Charles Taylor and the testimony of supermodel Naomi Campbell for her alleged involvement in receiving Blood Diamonds. In the middle of the twentieth century the country had the prestige of being a republic ruled by Africans at a time when almost all of Africa was under colonial rule. But it lost its mystique when other African countries became independent and this combined with economic problems in the 1970s led to the end of the Republic and a military coup in 1980. A chaotic and brutal government paved the way for a civil war that lasted on and off from 1989 to 2003 and became a by-word for casual brutality.
Directed by Abigail E. Disney and Gini Reticker, Pray The Devil Back To Hell is the extraordinary story of a small band of Liberian women who came together in the midst of a bloody civil war, took on the violent warlords and the corrupt Charles Taylor regime and won long-awaited peace for their shattered country in 2003. As the rebel noose tightened upon Monrovia, and peace talks faced collapse, the women of Liberia – Christian and Muslims united – formed a thin but unshakable white line between the opposing forces, and successfully demanded an end to the fighting, armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions. Their demonstrations culminated in the exile of Taylor and the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female head of state. It marked the beginning of a new wave of women taking control of their political destiny around the world.
Described in the New York Times as "‘Uplifting, disheartening, inspiring, enraging - the mind reels while watching...even as the eyes water, the temples pound and the body trembles," Pray the Devil Back to Hell reconstructs the moment through interviews, archival footage and striking images of contemporary Liberia. It is compelling testimony to the potential of women worldwide to alter the history of nations.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell will be released on UK DVD on 8th November 2010 by Dogwoof at the RRP of £14.99. Extra features will include a Directors Statement and a Stills Gallery.
UPDATE: The release date has now changed to 29th November 2010. |