Before 2005, seeing “Sum 41” and “Congo War” in the same sentence was the last thing anyone would expect. In those days, the words “Sum 41’s Congo War documentary” had never been spoken, written, or otherwise recorded in that order before.
Often, I wonder how long it’ll take before we run out of completely original thoughts. Will the Sun explode before that ever happens? I hope so. In the meantime, it feels like somewhat of a blessing to be alive right now, where I can tell someone about Sum 41’s Congo War documentary, maybe even for the first time. Not only that, but we can then watch Sum 41’s Congo War documentary in full for free. What a miraculous world we live in.
Despite the jokes at the premise, this turned out to be a crucial documentary bringing attention to the Second Congo War. Sum 41 traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2004 with War Child Canada. The purpose of the film, titled Rocked: Sum 41 in the Congo, was to document the damage and casualties in the country as a result of the Second Congo War.
Sum 41 and War Child Attempt to Document Aftermath of War in the Congo, End Up Getting Caught In It
The Second Congo War began in August 1998, just a year after the conclusion of the First Congo War. It is included as a conflict in the encompassing Congolese Civil Wars, lasting from 1998 until 2002. It remains the deadliest conflict since World War II. Even with peace officially declared in July 2002, violence persisted. This is what Sum 41 was eventually caught in during filming.
The idea of a pop-punk band going to a war zone to document the atrocities and devastation may seem in poor taste now. But the fact that Sum 41 did it and put the film out demands some respect. Plus, the fact that it was the band’s idea in the first place. The film worked because Sum 41 knew what they were going into.
Filming eventually ended on May 26, 2004. Sum 41 and War Child filmmakers were forced to hole up in a hotel bathroom while militias bombed each other nearby.
“They almost paid with their lives to tell that particular story,” Dr. Samantha Nutt, executive director of War Child Canada, recalled in 2020. “I was very honest with them,” she added. “I said, look, of all the conflicts that would benefit from this kind of activism and attention, [the situation in the Congo] is definitely one of them. But, I said, it’s also the one that’s the most unpredictable. Even though there’s been a peace deal, you just don’t know; it’s still a simmering conflict.”
Essentially, Dr. Nutt told Sum 41 that, if they were going to do this, they were “functioning effectively as journalists, you’re educating your audience back home, you have to be smart and articulate on the issues, and it’s not about your vague emotional experience.”
‘This Is Not Virtue Signalling, This Is Getting It Done and Putting Everything on the Line’
The documentary turned out better than anyone could have predicted. According to Dr. Nutt, “they really brought an issue forward in ways that nobody had yet and nobody has since.”
Sum 41 spent six days filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo, interviewing survivors and reporting on the devastation. Then, they suddenly found themselves in the middle of their own conflict.
A war zone had erupted around their hotel, at first thought to be just construction noise. But the band and documentary crew quickly realized it was machine gun fire, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars. At the urging of UN Peacekeepers, everyone hunkered down in a bathroom. The cameras rolled, capturing a tense moment for the band as they awaited an emergency evacuation.
Sum 41’s terrifying ordeal had a major impact on their music
According to Dr. Nutt, they all feared they might die at any moment. But after two days, the rescue arrived. Not only for Sum 41, however. They were just part of a larger group of civilians trapped in the hotel. Additionally, the building next to the hotel had fallen under attack.
Sum 41 left the Congo with a successful documentary. They sought to bring attention to a war that had gone relatively under the radar for the rest of the world. But it still left the Congo and many surrounding countries devastated. The band was evacuated in armored personnel carriers by Canadian UN Peacekeeper Chuck Pelletier, who Sum 41 honored with the title of their 2004 album, Chuck.
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