Set during the South Sudanese civil war in 1987, when orphaned children Amir, Paul, Jeremiah and Abidel flee from their village by foot, across the Sahara desert, and Ethiopia to safety at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. In 2000 they are transported to Kansas City, US, by way of a humanitarian intervention. The film examines the sense of culture shock experienced by Amir, Paul and Jeremiah while in the US; when a ‘good lie’ is told in extenuating circumstances, in order to survive a difficult situation.
The film is a bit slow paced at times, but perhaps this is a reflection of life in Africa. The end credits reveal the charming lead actors were once refugees in real life and ‘lost children of South Sudan’. I don’t suppose 'The Good Lie' (viewed inflight) will be mentioned at the upcoming Oscars, but it tells a good story, of courage, hope and survival.