Murray Mackintosh shoots child soldiers

Two young black kids, a girl and a boy of the same age, wake up and start their day. One is a schoolgirl and the other a child soldier. On the way to school she and her father are ambushed by the boy and his 'troops' and killed. Reeleyes director Murray Mackintosh wrote and directed 'Child Soldiers', earning a semi-finalist place at this year's Multichoice Vuka awards.

"I was shocked by the images of child soldiers from around the world," said Murray. "Kids robbed of their childhood and forced to do the most despicable things to other human beings - most of them are too young to comprehend what they are doing."

Child Soldiers is an emotionally and visually powerful commercial that delivers a strong message.

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"The use of child soldiers is especially prevalent in Africa and because we are not directly exposed to it here in South Africa does not mean it's an issue we should ignore. Multichoice's profile and influence in Africa has the power to increase awareness of this tragedy and start putting an end to it. I did not want to pull any punches - it is shocking, and that's precisely the feeling the viewer must be left with," he commented.

Murray handled Child Soldiers with sensitivity and a keen understanding of the emotional power and graphic reality of what child soldiers do - kill. Powerful performances, coupled with DOP Sven Vosloo's striking images, translate into one of the most-hard hitting Vuka entries ever made. Jorge Carlos's soundtrack tops off a compelling all-round effort.