For the family members of murder victims mourning is often postponed indefinitely. To unlock the trauma and begin the grieving, a method called restorative dialogue brings two parents – and the audience – eye to eye with the murderers.

Production notes

Eye to Eye takes the viewer into the midst of the trauma caused by losing a loved one to violence. The movie seats us at the table where the victim’s family members meets the perpetrator. The documentary deals with its difficult subject through the use of expressions and silence. The camera brings us into situations where people who have lost loved ones to violent crime come face to face with the perpetrators and demand answers. We are present in the silence, as the perpetrator asks for forgiveness for taking a life.

The documentary deals with difficult topics: grief, hatred and unbearable guilt. Does someone who has committed an evil act have the right to ask for forgiveness? Is it possible to stop hating someone who has caused the death of a loved one? How can one move forward when experiencing such grief?

Elina Vitkala (translated by Mira Sairanen)