Frammento 53

Hell on Earth. The phrase springs naturally to mind when describing the brutal madness in the dark Liberian mangroves. This is summarised with eerie calm in Fragment 53. Through a series of interviews with soldiers, generals and warlords who fought in Liberia's civil war, artist Tribbioli and Lodoli captures the very essence and nature of war. The focus is not on the personal and historical context of the testimonies, which makes them applicable beyond the borders of Liberia. And it is this very discussion, about war as an innate part of human nature, that the filmmakers approach with unerring precision. Or, as Greek philosopher Heraclitus put it in his 53rd fragment: War is the father and king of all. (Göteborg Film Festival)