Sergio

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Audience Member Reverently, engrossing, sad but inspiring. Sergio's 1st and last words in the film says everything we need to know about the mission of the dedicated, selfless, brilliant work of the United Nation's leaders and workers. Beautifully directed and filmed - a true tribute to Sergio, and, those who risked their lives to save him and spoke so eloquently about their time with him doing his best to indeed ''save the world.'' Great documentary about a truly Good Man. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Poignant, straightforward doc. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Sergio is a touching documentary revolving around the last hours of Sergio Vieira de Mello's life while delving into his charismatic personality and amazing past. I liked the structure of this film. So many documentaries (well, at least, those I have seen) tend to follow a traditional timeline, but Sergio bounces back and forth between Sergio's personal history, his accomplishments within the UN, interviews from friends and family, and the accounts from two of the men who attempted to save his life. "Touching" may not fully encompass the multitude of emotions that this film touches upon. In the end, a profound sense of loss- not only for this man's life but for how many other lives may have been affected by his presence, was what I was left with once the credits rolled. I would highly recommend this film for people who enjoy documentaries or are interested in recent history... though I must admit I don't know if this would be of the type I could watch repeatedly due to its heavy emotional nature. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Fantastiskt inspirerande och rörande, även om filmen nästan bara handlar om hur han dog. Och en dokumentär som inte ställer en enda kritisk frÃ¥ga är väl ingen dokumentär? Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Top bloke. Top doco. A real tearjerker. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Very moving film is on one hand a biography of former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello -- and on the other, a gripping story of a heroic rescue mission. Sergio (as he was widely known as to even the most lowly UN staffer) was clearly one of the most charismatic, inspiring and tireless diplomats ever on the world stage -- starting out in strife-torn areas like Bangladesh and Cyrpus; as he rose to senior positions, breaking ground with the Khmer Rouge by holding talks in order to move the Cambodian refugee crisis forward; spearheading the independence of East Timor when it broke free from Indonesia; and finally, appointed by President George W. Bush as Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Iraq, charged with the impossible task of transitioning the country from Coalition Forces occupation to self-governance. Very handsome, always smiling and never looking ruffled, Sergio clearly inspired all who worked with him (including surprising interviewees such as Paul Bremer and Condoleeza Rice, who knew he did not support the invasion), it is through he that thousands of lives the world over have been saved. Director Greg Barker could have made a very well-researched A&E Biography special, but he intercuts Sergio's life story with a terrifying account of the 2003 car bombing of the UN HQ in Iraq which killed Sergio as well as many other UN staffers. Interviewing the two brave soldiers who heroically tried to rescue Sergio (and a colleague who barely survivied) from the bombed-out rubble, Barker skillfully incorporates subtle re-creations with startling on-the-scene footage, resulting in an incredibly cinematic and suspensful film. But what is truly shocking is that the only tools the US Army used in their rescue attempt were a ladies purse and rope -- they were as incompetent and ill-prepared in their rescue operation as they were in the entire Iraq reconstruction process. There were virtually no guards or even security gates to the hotel the UN were headquartered in, despite the threats Al-Queda made to the organization. Barker's underlying statement here is that Sergio's premature, tragic and completely avoidable death is just one more element typifying the utter incompetent horror that is the Iraq War. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Sergio

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