Vision of a Secretary General (2005)

The film portrays the legendary Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961) who died in a plane crash while trying to negotiate peace in post-colonial Congo. This happened at the height of the Cold War. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear, and an examination of the Congo Crisis in the early 60s raises many issues still relevant today. The structure of the film is based on unique footage from the UN film archive covering Hammarskjöld’s time in office. The present Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and others give their views and comments on the UN in a historical perspective. Hammarskjöld was clearly aware that UN could never be anything more than what its member states wanted it to be. Now, 60 years on from the founding of the organisation, the film raises the question how Hammarskjöld’s vision of a world at peace, based on human rights and the UN charter, can be achieved today.