Narratives of Modern Genocide provides a harrowing account from two survivors of Genocide; Sichin Siv former United States ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and former deputy assistant to President Bush; and Burundian long-distance runner, motivational speaker/organizer, and author Gilbert Tuhabonye.
In addition to first-hand accounts, the documentary mixes evocative animation with historical facts from Texas Tech University academics, and others, about the wider social impact of conflict, the displacement of people, and genocide. First highlighting the Cambodian genocide in which 1 in 4 people were killed under orders of the Communist Khmer Rouge during the 1970s, Sichin Siv recounts having to run for his life eventually crossing the Thai border leaving his family behind. The second account highlights the Burundian civil war massacre of the 1990s in which Gilbert Tuhabonye describes his ordeal as his high school is invaded by the Hutu tribe and 100 Tutsi children and teachers were massacred or burned alive. Gilbert managed to escape with burns over his body.
The documentary highlights the importance of evaluating what genocide actually is; the targeted dehumanization and murder of a people, the importance of understanding the definition and its impact, rather than defining what genocide is along hierarchal lines purely based on numbers. Moreover, it highlights the necessity to acknowledge that this can easily happen again, challenging the concept that the holocaust was the last genocide. The stability and social order of any country must be reflected upon and examined. If as surmised in the documentary, it is estimated that 2% of a population are psychopaths, 15-20% are “rascals” motivated by power who support the 2% and the wider 80% follow through fear or ignorance, society at large should be consistently examined.
Produced by Texas Tech University, I do recommend watching this documentary. I would have liked it to be longer, delving deeper into the history and politics of these countries, plus others. However, it provides historical accounts rarely spoken about in history that should be remembered. Like numerous other stories, genocide is not an act relegated to the past and history repeats itself.
Movie Rating: 4 stars.
Movie Rating Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Great for the Fans
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
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