Life Is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara

Review by: Dejaih Smith

The short
Chronicles of the everyday violence experienced by Sahrawis living under Moroccan occupation and their self-determination through creative resistance and non-violence.

The long
More than four decades since its people were promised independence by former Spanish rulers, Western Sahara remains Africa's last colony. The UN called for a ceasefire to stop armed hostilities in the territory in 1991, but thousands of Sahrawis have fled to their neighbor, Algeria, where many refugees still live today. A new movement has risen with the youth at its center. The human rights abuses and demand for independence are fought in a non-violent yet resistant way towards the Moroccan authorities. They are losing their patience but hold tight to their dignity as their express themselves through different art forms.

To watch or not to watch?
With no knowledge on Western Sahara, this documentary touches on all the main points to understand the past & current events while allowing the people a platform to tell the world who they are – Sahrawis.