Deschutes Public Library

Sergio Vieira De Mello: Black Tuesday In Baghdad

eng

videorecording

Sergio Vieira De Mello: Black Tuesday In Baghdad

945761679

Originally produced by Film Ideas in 2010

52

On August 19th, 2003, an explosion destroys one side of the headquarters of the UN peace mission in Baghdad located at the Canal Hotel. The explosion, caused by a huge bomb hidden in a van has caused injury and death. Among the latter, the UN Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, head of the peace mission. At first, the first -aid workers had been able to communicate with him: the Brazilian diplomat was alive under tons of debris and steel. For hours, everybody attempted to save him, including his fiance' who had survived the explosion. But to no avail, his injuries turned fatal. After the invasion of Iraq, everybody had been expecting bombings of American institutions, but nobody thought that the peace seeking UN mission would be the target of terrorists. Were they not the very people attempting to return sovereignty of Iraq to its people? Was this another example of the fact that terrorists ignore their own history? This compelling documentary looks at the events as they unfold and invites us to reflect upon the roles that UN can, and should, play in today's world politics

live action