Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Sundance Films: Sergio

Title: Sergio
Director: Greg Barker
Website: No website found
Potential Major Release Date: No known release date after Sundance

Summary: Filmmaker Greg Barker's documentary tells the inspiring story of dedicated humanitarian Sérgio Vieira de Mello, his final mission as United Nations ambassador to Iraq and the deadly bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003. Through first-person testimony, chilling film footage and gripping reenactments, Barker's film chronicles the day of the terrorist attack and the attempts to save Vieira de Mello (NetFlix).

Thoughts: Greg Barker is a pretty darn good veteran of the PBS documentary world and it’s good to see he’s breaking out of TV to market to a potentially larger audience. The subject is also quite compelling as Sérgio Vieira de Mello was well regarded as a daring aid worker willing to put himself in danger in order to improve dire situations. Barker may not be an exciting or cutting edge filmmaker, but he’s solid and knows how to pick his topics (don’t believe me, check out our review of Ghosts of Rwanda).

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