When working on Hotel Rwanda in 2004, Don Cheadle’s eyes opened to a crisis happening in Darfur, Sudan. Fueled by the things he saw on location, he decided to take action – and make a difference.

Using his celebrity status, Cheadle produced Darfur Now with Cathy Schulman and Mark Jonathan Harris. Written and directed by Ted Braun, this documentary follows the lives of six people who are committed to ending the genocide driven by the Janjaweed militias and government forces in the western region of Sudan.

The film gives the viewer an inside perspective through storytelling. It’s a bit slow, and the editing is lackluster. However, if you want to learn more about the situation in Darfur and the political process needed to help stop the tragedy, this film is worth a visit.

It’s refreshing to see a celebrity use his fame for the right reasons. Though these inhumane events are happening far from Los Angeles, it’s easy to rationalize that not everyone can get involved in this international human rights catastrophe.

Cheadle, along with the other five individuals followed in this film, thinks everybody can do something. They look to inspire in order to get people to act.

To learn more about Darfur and to take action, visit participate.net/darfurnow.

Grade: B

Darfur Now releases in select theaters Nov. 2.