Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, God Grew Tired of Us explores the indomitable spirit of three “Lost Boys” from the Sudan who leave their homeland, triumph over seemingly insurmountable adversities, and move to America. Orphaned by a tumultuous civil war, John Bul Dau, Daniel Abol Pach, and Panther Blor were among the 25,000 “Lost Boys” who traveled together for five years across the sub-Saharan desert to reach UN’s refugee camps in Kakuma, Kenya. A journey’s end for some, it was only the beginning for John, Daniel, and Panther, who, along with 3,800 other young survivors, were selected to resettle in the United States. From the trans-Atlantic flights that take them to America, to a supermarket visit where they encounter an endless bounty of food, the cameras observe three resilient young men in a complex and confusing western world. In time, John, Daniel, and Panther were able to build active and fulfilling new lives while remaining deeply committed to helping their friends and family left behind in Africa.

Please join us for a provocative panel discussion and Q&A session immediately following the film.

The state of Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to undertake a systemic initiative to expand learning time to improve student performance and close achievement gaps. In 2005, the state legislature made available new grants to support the creation of district implementation plans. The following year, 10 schools in five districts were selected to receive second-year grants to begin implementation and expand learning time by 30 percent.