Sara Terry, FilmMaker
Fambul Tok, Krio for Family Talk, emerged from the unique approach to community reconciliation pioneered in Sierra Leone. Once divided and devastated by an 11-year civil war, Sierra Leoneans now draw on ancient traditions of addressing issues within the safety of the family circle to make their communities whole again.
Victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war come together for the first time in an unprecedented program of tradition-based truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies. Through reviving their ancient practice of fambul tok (family talk), Sierra Leoneans are building sustainable peace at the grass-roots level – succeeding where the international community’s post-conflict efforts failed. Filled with lessons for the West, this film explores the depths of a culture that believes that true justice lies in redemption and healing for individuals – and that forgiveness is the surest path to restoring dignity and building strong communities.
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