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In the heart of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, United Nations soldiers guard a heavily fortified building known as the "special court." Inside, Issa Sesay awaits his trial. Prosecutors say Sesay is a war criminal, guilty of heinous crimes against humanity. His defenders say he is a reluctant fighter who protected civilians and played a crucial role in bringing peace to Sierra Leone. With unprecedented access to prosecutors, defense attorneys, victims, and, from behind bars, Sesay himself, War Don Don puts international justice on trial for the world to see -- finding that in some cases the past is not just painful, it is also opaque.

Awards & Screenings

Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Continuing Coverage Of A News Story, HBO Documentary Films
Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Editing, HBO Documentary Films
Special Jury Award, South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW)

"One of the most viscerally compelling documentaries of the year, it will leave you haunted." -- Mary Anderson Casavant, Filmmaker Magazine

"Fascinating and complex... a remarkably sophisticated examination of the machinery of justice." -- The Independent Weekly, Raleigh, NC

"War Don Don offers one of the most complex views of a legal proceeding ever presented in a documentary film." -- Penny Lane, Brooklyn Rail

Running Time

86 mins

Year

2010

Kanopy ID

1144283

Filmmakers

Rebecca Richman Cohen

Languages

English

Subjects

Global Studies & Languages > African Studies

Documentaries > Ethnicity & Identity

Documentaries > Politics & Current Affairs

Social Sciences > Political Science

Social Sciences > Race & Class Studies

Social Sciences > Sociology

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