Never again” is the mantra that the masses utter every time an atrocity around the world occurs. Yet, this does not stop further incidents from happening. 

The creators of the documentary Sand and Sorrow attempt to bring the genocide of Darfur into focus. Executive producer George Clooney narrates this HBO documentary about the origins of the crisis in Darfur and the difficulty faced bringing the predicament to light.

The documentary tells the story of the people of Darfur, Sudan. The Janjaweed, a military group allegedly backed by the Sudanese governement, murdered thousands of the non-Arab population in Darfur and destroyed their villages, forcing the creation of refugee camps in Darfur and nearby Chad. Overnight, thousands of Darfur civilians went from living prosperous lives to relying on relief agencies for all the necessities of life. Even in camps, these people constantly face death by soldiers, hunger, or disease. The Janjaweed also use rape as a method of terror against the women of Darfur.

Producers of the documentary make no attempt to mask the atrocities. The viewer is shown a multitude of images of civilians from Darfur laying dead after acts of violence perpeturated by the Janjuweed or images of those left starving in the villages. At one point, relief workers gave the children crayons and paper to keep them busy and the viewer is shown the harsh realities as drawn by children:  people laying dead, soldiers shooting people, and huts being burned down.

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The documentary also touches upon efforts in the United States to create awareness of Darfur. Nicholas Kristoff, a journalist for the New York Times, has been one of the few reporters covering the events as they unfold in the violence stricken region. He has noted the lack of media coverage devoted to the humanitarian crisis and has called out the U.S. government for neglecting to do anything beyond merely labeling the crisis as a genocide.

While informative, the documentary lost its way towards the end and seemed to be incomplete. For instance, it shows the signing of a peace agreement among the different factions in Sudan.  Clooney narrates that this only propelled Sudan into more division. Yet, the documentary does not delve into the activities beyond that peace agreement. In addition, the film could stand to include more of a narrative about the further causes of the genocide instead of spending time on non-essential information.

However, Sand and Sorrow does serve as a short introduction to the conflict, paving the way for the viewer to further education him or herself about Darfur. That in the least makes this documentary worth watching.