This film explores the mechanics of genocide, the conditions that allow it to occur, and the ideas and institutions that stand against it.
The Broken Promise airs airs Monday, October 7 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
After World War II, humanity declared that genocide would never be allowed to happen again. But “never again” has become “again and again,” from Cambodia to Bosnia to Rwanda to Darfur to China to Ukraine. The Broken Promise asks, why? What makes people dehumanize one another? Why does it keep happening? And what can we do to make “never again” a reality?
The documentary has three chapters: The Pattern, Ripple Effects and Arc of Justice. Raw, unflinching first-person stories are told by the survivors of genocide, and their children, and how the trauma of genocide ripples through generations. Past and current genocides over the last century are painted with extensive archival footage and more than 100 photos and images from worldwide news agencies and museums.
With poignant insights from forward-thinking policymakers, scholars, and activists, the film examines the characteristics of those who perpetrate crimes against humanity—their self-serving goals, their destruction of democratic institutions, and their utter disregard for the slaughter that follows.
Photo: Father and his two children flee the ISIS genocide of the Yazidi people
Credit: Magnum Photos