The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court

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After decades of civil war in Sudan and years of mass atrocities in Darfur, survivors of these crimes and the advocates who support them are calling for justice and accountability to bring an end to impunity and build a foundation for peace in Sudan. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken historic steps to hold those most responsible for mass atrocities in Darfur accountable and issued arrest warrants for several suspects including the President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.  

But much work remains.  Bashir and other architects of the genocide in Darfur remain at large.  To date, only one suspect of war crimes in Darfur, a rebel leader, has appeared before the court.  Sudan’s government and its allies are in the midst of a diplomatic offensive against the ICC and its work to end impunity in Sudan.

The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court, is a new film that profiles the court’s work to hold perpetrators of mass atrocities in Sudan, Uganda, Congo, and elsewhere accountable. Through the stories of survivors, prosecutors and judges at the ICC, diplomats, and advocates, The Reckoning makes a powerful case for the need to end impunity and ensure justice.   

The Reckoning made its broadcast premier on July 14^th as part of PBS’s Point of View series. Watch and tell your friends and family.  Visit PBS’s Reckoning site for a comprehensive discussion guide, a related reading list for educators, a guide to help you plan an event around this film, and other resources.  

About the Film

Over 120 countries have united to form the International Criminal Court (ICC)—the first permanent court created to prosecute perpetrators, no matter how powerful, of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. The Reckoning follows dynamic ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo and his team for three years across four continents as he issues arrest warrants for Lord’s Resistance Army leaders in Uganda, puts Congolese warlords on trial, shakes up the Colombian justice system, and charges Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur. Like a deft thriller, The Reckoning keeps you on the edge of your seat. Will the prosecutor succeed? Will the world ensure that justice prevails? An Official Selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.