Don't Believe the Hype

Absolutely the worst movie.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I recommend this documentary!The film documents American Evangelicals "at work" in Uganda, spreading homophobia and other "good news", such as abstinence-only programs. To the detriment of the Ugandan people and the growth of the Evangelical cause, influence and donations. It also shows a Catholic bishop (if I am not mistaken) who has been excommunicated for refusing to "condemn the gays". It clearly shows the connection between some Evangelical groups and growing homophobia, as well as growing religious political influence. I thought the connection between American Evangelicals and growing homophobia was clear and the connection was MONEY and POLITICAL INFLUENCE. If white rich Americans show at your doorstep and you are poor and face many troubles, particularly if their donations are tied to you spreading their ideology/religion, most of the time you will tell them what they want to hear. Something that is presented pretty straightforward in the film. It is only the privileged who can afford to disregard such a simple fact!! It is only the privileged who can be blind to their power and to the massive inequality between the parties involved! Sure, these Evangelicals build schools, wells and what not and send in wide-eyed enthusiastic youth, and in return they get their "army", their views validated, their status increased. They get to be heard in Parliament, show up in the media and dump all their venomous frustrations and ignorance far away from their home or (until recently) prying eyes. At the expense of the lives, health and safety of Ugandan LGBT. The amount of hatred, ignorance and bigotry spewed by American Evangelicals, their sponsored supporters and their recruited followers is chilling. The fact that they scapegoat an already marginalized group is absolutely absolutely disgusting. It is revolting to see just such an imbalance of power, between a poor HIV ridden country and a frightened LGBT community on one side, and the blissfully enthusiastic ignorant American Christians on the other. Such an abuse of power. I thought the film was too soft on Christian Evangelical groups and I thought even gentle in its approach. I was screaming at the screen sometimes frustrated with how restrained the tone was. But I think I understand why this was and I am aware the play field is highly unequal. I expect all those Evangelicals&co involved to be held accountable for their spread of hate speech and violations of basic human rights and dignity. I won't hold my breath though.I applaud with all my heart the makers of this film. I don't want to give away too much. Just watch it.

Can a movie about evil American evangelicals and good Ugandan gays be a bad movie? I'm afraid so. There is a great movie/documentary to be made about this explosive issue, but it's not this thin effort.This film just doesn't do justice to its subject. A film that portrays the religious right persecuting Ugandan gays pushes all the right buttons to guarantee a positive reception but there is a lot wrong with this film. It appears to have be edited to serve as a 'gay rights' movie out of footage that was not originally intended for that purpose, because a lot of what is needed to establish the premise of the movie just isn't there. We see starry-eyed American kids being sent to Africa as IHOP missionaries and we see homophobic Ugandan pastors, but nothing establishes any sort of link between US evangelism and Ugandan homophobia. It is as if two independent documentaries - one about American missionaries and another about Ugandan pastors was pasted together. I am most certainly not denying the existence of a link between the religious right and Ugandan policy on homosexuality. What I am saying is that this movie makes a poor fist of documenting it. The subject is terrific, the editing and photography are fine but I think this film was cobbled together to exploit interest in a fashionable subject rather being objectively good.

"The words of the Gospels, repeated to a child, a workman or a peasant, do not surprise him in the least. Nothing is told with a view to effect. Not a word in the Gospels is intended to startle." Ernest Hello, Life, Science, and ArtThe state of homophobia is severe in Uganda, as evidenced by God Loves Uganda, a sharp title for the influence of American conservative evangelists. These well-meaning do gooders have apparently ignited the wildfire of bigotry, so says Rev. Kapya Kaoma, a Zambian priest self- exiled from Uganda because of his support of LGBTI rights.The documentary is an honest and effective depiction of the varied support for an anti-gay bill pending before the Ugandan legislature. Because half of Ugandans are under the age of 15 and undereducated, they are easy targets for the young acolytes of the International House of Prayer (IHOP), a Kansas City Christian group sending missionaries to underdeveloped worlds like Uganda.The missionaries are effective because they believe what they preach and they are attractively young and American. The message is simple: Listen to what the Bible says, and if you still don't believe, look at these gay pornographic images of men and coprophilia, nasty stuff by any measure. Of course, that activity is hardly the usual for gays, but who's counting when it comes to recruiting?Of those most effective proselytizers, Scott Lively is an anti-gay activist who preaches about the evil gay agenda to such an extent that some feel he is responsible for stirring up the entire population. A Ugandan preacher, Robert Kayanja, says gay activity is like murder. The preachers are legion, spouting similar Biblical passages with great lungs.Although the arguments against the anti-gay movement seem spot-on, evidence shows extremists winning Ugandans. I am, however, grateful for IHOP giving Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams apparently full access to the business. Most extremists seem unaware of their flaws. Someday those excesses could bring down a country.

Known as the "Pearl of Africa", Uganda is undergoing a transformation movement caused by the west. In God Loves Uganda this story follows the influence of Christian missionaries who are trying to "save" this country and implement their own religious moral beliefs. The story starts off with the church of IHOP (International House of Prayer) and then transition on the how these Christian beliefs are influencing the political, cultural, and lifestyle of Uganda. Directed by Roger Ross Williams, an interesting tale of how the American Christian Right is being exported to impact the world. I saw this film as part of the Atlanta Film Festival