Until the SXSW Film Festival, I was completely oblivious to the fact that Sierra Leone recently spent ten years in a civil war (or what we thought was a civil war despite the fact that armies from neighboring Liberia were involved). That fact alone, while embarrassing for me, makes this documentary worth watching. "War don don" means "the war is over," and while this statement brings happiness to the people of Sierra Leone, the trial to follow has just begun.
Watch a special court comprised of the United Nations and the government of Sierra Leone as they try to decide if Issa Sesay, a rebel leader being tried for war crimes against humanity, was really just a reluctant fighter who played a key role in peace negotiations, as his defense claims. See the ravaged Sierra Leone and a number of amputated citizens claiming that Issa Sesay was at the top of command and responsible for not only his own acts but the acts of others as well. Hear his side of the story, how he was forced to fight and did so for his own nation. Director Cohen took interest in this case of international justice as a law student and then turned it into an unseen glimpse of a controversial international issue. She does a great job highlighting the politics, money, and laws affecting justice, and she does so from the side of both the prosecutors and the defenders.
Even though I saw War Don Don on the last day of the festival when I was exhausted from nine days of documentaries, I still felt like it drug on a bit too long. There are a lot of interviews, which was hard to sit through in my sleepy state, but it was well timed and paced, and it won the Special Jury Prize at SXSW. While I was not enthralled, I was interested in the controversy, and I left wondering if the Special Court really found justice.
Sadly, War Don Don is not a film for everyone. It takes an interest in the subject matter and the patience of sitting through a bunch of information for one to benefit from a viewing. But for those who can muster up the willingness to venture outside of the box, you should walk away educated on a subject matter that so few are aware of. It is unfortunate that such things slide under the radar, but thankfully there are filmmakers like Rebecca Richman Cohen to remind us what others are facing during this difficult time in our world's history.
