Helen Whitney's fascinating and moving treatise on the human capacity for forgiveness has been a social and political force in the wake of past and present instances of genocide and other violent crimes agains humanity. Narrated by Jane Alexander, the film is calm revelation of private and public behavior.
A Firm Moral Commitment to Peace
Forgiveness is divided into two acts, with one covering the private realm of forgiveness, focusing in particular on the Amish response to the horrific slaughter of children at the Nickle Mines schoolhouse massacre. The other delves into the public and political sphere, presenting the peace and reconciliation process in post-genocide Rwanda, as well as the process of reconciliation between Jews and Germans in an effort to heal the wounds caused by the National Socialist Party.
Throughout the film, you're challenged to think about what you would do, whether you could find forgiveness in your heart. The spiritual qualities of forgiveness are pointed out, and many witnesses and spiritual leaders step forward to underscore the important of forgiveness, as a religious practice and civic act.
Whitney's companion book has a preface by the Dalai Lama.
If You Like This Film, You May Also Like:
- My Neighbor My Killer
- Nuremberg: A Lesson For Today
- Devil Came On Horseback
- Darfur Now
- Nanking
- Standard Operating Procedure
- Jesus Camp
- War Don Don
Film Details:
- Title: Forgiveness
- Director: Helen Whitney
- Broadcast Premiere: PBS on April 17 and 24, as a two part series
- DVD Release Date: April 26, 2011
- Running Time: 168 mins.
- Parental Advisory: Content advisory for parents
- Location Country: USA, Rwanda, Germany, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere
- Language: English
- Company: Helen Whitney Productions
- DVD Distributor: Docurama
