pgtrades123 This is a trans-formative film that touches deep and complex emotions . The visceral response of anger, hatred and revenge that surge from a feeling of being wronged are intensely powerful. This film attempts ,and succeeds in offering a mechanism and process that has the power to divert the impulse to kill to strike back to be vengeful, to perpetuate a cycle of violence into a outcome more difficult but ultimately cathartic and positive . It is a searing and haunting journey and one we can all learn from. restorative justice is a fragile process- it requires truth and responsibility and a belief that we share common human decency and dignity. It is not available to all; but if this base notion of justice was incorporated into our vindictive criminal justice system we would see dramatic and positive changes .

ligonlaw This was the best documentary of the Oscar-nominated group. The witnesses came before the commission and confessed to murderous conduct in exchange for forgiveness. The testimony was raw and painful and absolutely riveting.After Apartheid ended, there had been so many atrocities committed by so many people on both sides that South Africa decided to pardon anyone from criminal prosecutions who came before the commission and told the truth about their complicity in the killing of blacks or whites.The power of this remarkable film comes from the ability of the families and friends of the victims to forgive.Ms. Hoffman, who was already nominated for a profound and excellent documentary about her mother's decline into Alzheimer's, is one of the finest living documentary makers in this country. Four stories of murder unfold in front of the families of the victims. The Witnesses admit to their crimes in different ways. This is an important film. An experiment in forgiveness for unforgivable unspeakable acts of violence.Also the soundtrack is unusually excellent for a documentary.

Robert Reynolds This is an exceptionally well-done and thoughtful documentary on the aftermath of apartheid in South Africa and the rather different "war crimes" tribunel approach they took in South Africa. While I was disappointed that they didn't touch on black-on-black attacks (anyone who's ever seen the end result of "the necklace"-even on film-won't ever forget), it was a very good and even-handed presentation. I could not write a comment here without getting this off my chest, though: POSSIBLE SPOILER- In my opinion, there isn't any difference materially between Eric Taylor-white SA police officer who killed a black SA man unlawfully-and Robert McBride-black SA who admits to planting a bomb outside a club that killed three women. That they are treated quite differently by the tribunal in their respective amnesty applications is therefore disturbing, although the reasons are obvious and I do not think the tribunal played favorites in any way. Most Recommended.

mermatt This documentary tells four true stories of apartheid in South Africa. As one of the people in the film points out, there is a Kafkaesque atmosphere about people confessing their atrocities in order to seek amnesty.The point of both the hearings in the film and of the film itself is to be able to heal by facing the truth. Only in facing the past can we prevent ourselves from repeating it. We must remember the true horrors that humans can make for other humans. That is the only sane way of sustaining a better world that can emerge from the chaos.Not an easy film to watch, there are times when anguish flies off the screen into the viewer. But purgation comes from witnessing truth, accepting it, and guarding against the evil within us that is capable of such horror. This is a human story that will alter your perspective on life.