Films A-Z
The Reckoning
The Reckoning
Pamela Yates / USA / 2009 / 100 min.
In response to repeated crimes against humanity at the end of the 20th century, 108 countries came together to set up the International Criminal Court. For the first time in history, a tribunal has been established to prosecute perpetrators regardless of their power or influence, and to punish them for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. This documentary follows the tireless prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, who together with his team pursues culprits on four continents over a period of three years. As the only person in his job, he issues arrest warrants for members of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda and warlords in the Congo. He also strives to call the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to account for genocide in Darfur. But proceedings against the criminals encounter problems. Although the prosecutor has a mandate to arrest and subsequently indict them, he does not have executive police powers at his disposal. Should the international community commit itself to ensuring that those who perpetrate the worst crimes imaginable do not escape justice? This very topical film poses a number of questions and shows how difficult it is to create a concept of international justice.