Fambul Tok

Between 1991 and 2002, Sierra Leone was caught up in a bloody civil war that began after the Revolutionary United Front attempted to overthrow the rule of Joseph Saidu Momoh. It's estimated that 50,000 people were killed in the fighting, and many more were severely injured or mutilated; nearly a decade after the end of the conflict, many are still coming to terms with the brutality that took place during the fighting, and John Caulker has come up with a plan to help deal with the war's legacy. Rather than set up a formal system of tribunals, Caulker travels from town to town and sets up village meetings he calls "Fambul Tok," or "Family Talks." At these gatherings, modeled on traditional truth-telling ceremonies, people gather around a campfire, free to confess the crimes they committed face to face with their victims, in hopes of leading to the two sides to an understanding that allows both parties to move on with their lives. Journalist and filmmaker Sara Terry offers a look into this unconventional yet effective means of reconciliation in the documentary Fambukl Tok, which received its world premiere at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival.