People who have lost a close family member to murder face the perpetrator. Using a process called restorative dialogue, they try to deal with the trauma.
Synopsis
Every year, some 100 people in Finland die by violence. For their family and close friends, it can be a trauma from which they only recover slowly, if at all. One technique used to help is called restorative dialogue – the traumatised survivors meet with the imprisoned perpetrator of the crime. It may take years until they feel able to handle it, but for most, it is a healing experience. This film accompanies two people to those meetings – a mother whose daughter was killed by the younger woman’s boyfriend, and a father whose son was murdered by a friend. We also hear from a young woman who met the man who killed her brother. With the presence of a facilitator, and after extensive preparation, the meetings deal with guilt and remorse, but also hate and a desire for vengeance. Facing each other eye to eye is a crucial part of their joint mourning.
Director: John Webster Writer: John Webster Camera: Jan Nyman Cast: Ulla Salminen, Jussi Laaksonen, Niina Laaksonen, Eemi Laaksonen, Mika Suomalainen, Pirkko Köngäs, Julia Järvelin, Stiina Saarinen
Production: John Webster, JW Documentaries Festivalcontact: The Finnish Film Foundation
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