Clooney to narrate HBO documentary

Freedman's 'Sand' concerns Darfur crisis

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

George Clooney is on board to narrate and exec produce "Sand and Sorrow," an HBO doc from Paul Freedman about the Darfur crisis.

"Sand and Sorrow" follows the history of the strife in Sudan's Darfur region, where the Arab-controlled government has killed and displaced much of the indigenous African population. It also looks at the international community's slow reaction to the crisis.

Project, from HBO Documentary Films, is set to bow in December.

Freedman directed, produced, wrote and edited "Sand and Sorrow," and was given unprecedented access to African Union peacekeeping forces.

Doc follows columnist Nicholas Kristof, human rights activist John Prendergast and Harvard prof Samantha Power as they tour the region and help lead a growing advocacy movement.

Also included: Interviews with author Elie Wiesel, Senators Barak Obama and Sam Brownback and rebel leader Minni Minawi.

"The tragic events taking place in Darfur unfortunately are a continuation of the lack of response from the international community in protecting millions of innocent lives from their own government," Freedman said. "Without humanitarian aid and political resolve from the U.S. and other countries, these displaced people from Darfur could suffer the same fate as those innocents from Eastern Europe, Cambodia and Rwanda."

Natlie Lum Freedman and Michael Mendelsohn exec produce with Clooney, while Bradley Kaplan produces with Freedman.