Theatre of Violence

US Digital Premiere

For info about our in person screenings, please go to ff.hrw.org/newyork

Audio Described version of this film is available by purchasing this version : Audio Described Version: Theatre of Violence

Closed Captioning available in English You can select this option by clicking the ‘CC’ button in the bottom right of the player to turn on captions.

Ugandan lawyer Krispus Ayena has been assigned to the most prominent case of his career: defending the first former child soldier to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Dominic Ongwen was only 9-years-old when he was abducted on his way to school, as were an estimated more than 20,000 other children, by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Intimidated and indoctrinated, he quickly learned to kill or be killed. Theatre of Violence combines stunning cinematography with tense courtroom drama as Ayena and his team prepare for Ongwen’s defense, covering an unfolding debate on what accountability means when someone is both victim and perpetrator, and what justice looks like in an international court, far from key cultural and historical contexts. This unforgettable film asks vital questions, not least: is the ICC imposing a new form of colonialism on Uganda?

“Visually, it’s beautiful. The issues are presented in a very nuanced way which is rare for Western-made productions about the LRA war and the conflict in Uganda - centering Acholi voices, juxtaposing Ongwen’s trial with what is happening in Uganda today, and posing important questions about the relevance of the ICC.” - Oryem Nyeko, Uganda and Tanzania Researcher, Human Rights Watch

Content Advisory This film contains description of violence, murder, rape, and torture, some of which includes children.

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