War Don Don

Rebecca Richman Cohen's documentary, which won the Special Jury Award at the SXSW Film Festival, follows the war crimes trial of Issa Sesay, the second-in-command of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which waged the 1991–2002 civil war against the government of Sierra Leone. In the heavily guarded courtroom in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown, Sesay is charged with crimes against humanity that include murders, mutilations, rapes of women and children, and the forced conscription of child-soldiers into the RUF forces. Yet Sesay's defenders claim that RUF atrocities happened without his knowledge or consent, and that he was responsible for ending the conflict by coordinating the RUF surrender to government forces. In addition to speaking with prosecutors and defense attorneys, Cohen interviews Sesay, who comes across as an intelligent and sincere individual seemingly incapable (at least on the surface) of committing these horrific acts. The film also provides in-depth conversations with survivors of the RUF's wrath, along with news footage showing Sierra Leone's collapse into chaos during the 11 years of internecine chaos. Striving to maintain an impartial view of the trial, War Don Don is a triumph of agenda-free nonfiction filmmaking. Challenging to watch, with a great deal of disturbing footage, it's also among the year's finest documentaries. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)