Told entirely from the perspective of children,
A CHILD'S CENTURY OF WAR takes the viewer on a journey through the past century, the bloodiest in history. It is an examination of the way in which modern wars have increasingly targeted children.
Three contemporary conflicts are the heart of the film. We meet the abducted, raped and amputated children of Sierra Leone, children growing up on Martyr Street in Hebron (the most dangerous street in the West Bank), and orphans from the two recent Chechen wars.
We hear their stories in their voices. Establishing parallels between past and present conflicts, the film intercuts the accounts of children currently in danger, with diaries and voices of children in the past. By looking at the way today's wars indoctrinate children, it is also an eye to the future. As we listen, their unflinching stories throw a disturbing light on the human condition at the beginning of our new century.


A Film by Shelley Saywell
Narrated by Christopher Plummer

"Highly Recommended. A strong and powerful film."
-Educational Media Reviews Online

"A genius work of staggering heartbreak... You must not miss this documentary, as tough as it is to watch." -Antonia Zerbisias, The Toronto Star


✮2003 Notable Video for Adults, Library Association

✮2002 Nominee, Best Documentary, International Documentary Association

✮2002 Toronto International Film Festival

✮2002 Hot Docs International Documentary Festival