War Don Don

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

Documentaries

Watch now

MVD Entertainment Group

Nelson Mandela is one of the most influential men in the world. Born into the Thembu royal family, he committed his life to the advancement of black people in South Africa. Mandela stood firmly as a public leader of the anti apartheid movement. In 1962, he was arrested and convicted…

Part of the Series: Globalization

As Africa looks desperately for leaders of integrity and vision, the life and ideals of the late Thomas Sankara seem more and more relevant and exemplary with the passage of time. This new film should go a long way towards explaining why, though largely forgotten in this country, Sankara is…

Women Make Movies

Uncovering amazing stories of hope in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, Academy Award-Nominee GOD SLEEPS IN RWANDA captures the spirit of five courageous women as they rebuild their lives, redefine women's roles in Rwandan society and bring hope to a wounded nation. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide left the country…

First Run Features

"Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man." The Jesuit maxim behind the landmark UP Series has now been taken to South Africa, where a group of children, first filmed in 1992 at the age of 7, are now 21. Rich and poor,…

Clarity Films

Have You Heard From Johannesburg is seven documentary stories chronicling the history of the global anti-apartheid movement that took on South Africa's entrenched apartheid regime and its international supporters who considered South Africa an ally in the Cold War. Almost fifty years ago, South Africans began to realize that their…