Stephen Holden The New York Times on "Granito"
“'Granito: How to Nail a Dictator...' doesn’t simply relate history; it is also part of history. ”
Ben Hallman AM Litigation Law Daily, AmericanLawyer.com on "The Reckoning"
“We tend to steer away from film recommendations here, but a documentary about the International Criminal Court, airing on PBS, should be worth your while.”
IntLawGrlls Blog on "The Reckoning"
“Stay home for the national television premiers – or better yet, host a gathering. It will have you on the edge of your seat.”
James Starowicz The Daily Kos on "The Reckoning"
“So spread the word, invite your friends over, and spend this Tuesday night learning more about ‘the Battle for the International Criminal Court.”
Jim Rohner Zoomin.com on "The Reckoning"
“The Reckoning doesn’t really conclude nor does it assure us that everything will be okay, but it does provide a spark of hope, a hint there is a force out there moving in the right direction.”
Cynthia Fuchs PopMatters.com on "The Reckoning"
“Profound…A valuable introduction.”
Kevin Jon Heller Opinio Juris Blog on "The Reckoning"
“A genuinely excellent documentary, one that manages to be both educational and exciting.”
Mike Hughes Lansing State Journal on "The Reckoning"
“This richly detailed documentary views the attempt to penalize brutality and genocide.”
Mark Leon Goldberg UNDispatch.com on "The Reckoning"
“A great film.”
Aaron Barnhart The Kansas City Star on "The Reckoning"
“You probably don’t even know we have an International Criminal Court. This 2009 Sundance Film Festival selection introduces us to Luis Moreno-Ocampo….and his corps of young, idealistic lawyers.”
Tom Jacobs Miller-McClune Magazine on "The Reckoning"
“The film boasts several compelling characters…[ICC Prosecutor] Luis Moreno-Ocampo is its quietly charismatic central figure….[A] beautifully crafted film.”
Dennis Harvey Variety on "The Reckoning"
“[The Reckoning] coveys the extreme trickiness of achieving both peace and justice amid politically loaded situations.”
DeWane Wickham USA Today on "The Reckoning"
“The Reckoning is a riveting look at the ICC’s efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of some of the world’s worst crimes while those offenses are still taking place.”
Val Kermode Eye for Film on "The Reckoning"
“This is no talking heads documentary. Cameras take us into the displacement camps of Uganda, where local survivors talk of their babies beaten to death. In Congo there are interviews with former child soldiers and sex slaves. There are video scenes of human remains in burnt out houses, where the crying of witnesses on the soundtrack is possibly the most harrowing element. If you find this depressing, wait until you hear about the political opposition.”
Cynthia Fuchs Pop Matters on "The Reckoning"
“The facts seem apparent. And yet they also exist in cultural and political frameworks designed to protect those in power. And so, as The Reckoning reveals again and again, the ICC team—attorneys, investigators, and analysts—must work through thickets of denial, elusion, and obfuscation. As Moreno-Campos declares, “A president cannot use openly a state to commit crimes, that is why they cover the crimes. Part of his cover-up is diplomatic work.””
Video Librarian on "Living Broke in Boom Times"
“...a powerful and impassioned look at a segment of American society too often ignored. Recommended.”
Howard Zinn on "Living Broke in Boom Times"
“It is a wonderful documentary, heart-rending in its depiction of homelessness and desperation, yet inspiring in what it shows about the magnificence of people fighting back... I think it can play an important role in arousing people to action. ”
New York Times on "State of Fear"
“State of Fear offers a more comprehensive view of Peru's battle against terrorism and for democracy. It is also having an unexpected international impact. In July, it was broadcast in 45 languages on the National Geographic Channels International. And last month, it provoked a fierce debate between critics and supporters of the Russian government at a human rights festival in Moscow.”
New York Times on "State of Fear"
“State of Fear is a timely lesson on the hazards of choosing security over democracy.”
Salon on "State of Fear"
“Based on the findings of Peru's extraordinary Truth and Reconciliation Commission, State of Fear is one of the most remarkable explorations of recent history ever conducted. This electrifying, frightening and profoundly inspiring work of nonfiction seems committed to understanding how and why (a) nation ran amok, and what lessons can be drawn from it.”
The Onion on "State of Fear"
“State of Fear is really intended as a cautionary tale for the current war on terror. Fujimori exploited his extra latitude to bypass the rule of law, punish his political enemies and bully a nation into choosing security over freedom. Remind you of anyone?”
The Gaurdian on "State of Fear"
“State of Fear shows all too clearly how terror can contaminate a country... As if trapped in a suspense film, we are forced to follow this escalation of violence step by tragic step, slowly understanding how so many Peruvians were poisoned by this maelstrom of madness and cruelty.”
AlterNet on "State of Fear"
“Although the specifics of Peru's cycle of violence and corruption are of course unique, they generally parallel and ominously foreshadow the current conflict between the West and Al Qaeda. If the lessons of Peru's 'State of Fear' continue to go unheeded, we may all soon be living in the 'United States of Fear. ”
New York Magazine on "State of Fear"
“In this thorough, fascinating depiction of the disastrous, soul-crushing twenty-year Peruvian civil war, director Pamela Yates probably felt morally obligated to draw parallels with the current U.S. war on terror. But her refusal to do so is a welcome change from the current flock of political docs and makes this eye-opening film well worth a visit.”
NY Newsday on "State of Fear"
“Suppose you declared a war on terror and nobody won---or, to be more precise, everybody lost? This is the sobering rhetorical inquiry posed by State of Fear, a fiercely detailed, yet scrupulously balanced documentary.”
Time Out NY on "State of Fear"
“State of Fear presents a troubling chronicle of the 'war on terror' and the all too familiar ways that countries bungle it.”
New York Daily News on "State of Fear"
“Pamela Yates unblinking chronicle of recent Peruvian history paints a devastating picture of a people nearly destroyed by their own leaders. (3 stars)”
Village Voice on "State of Fear"
“State of Fear does its own moody muckraking tons of declassified video footage, of both Shining Path guerrillas and Fujimori troopers in the process of kidnapping, assaulting, and killing civilians. The pertinent lesson here is how the Peruvian power base, as in Iraq, Chechnya, Turkey, west China, and the Palestinian territories after 9-11, exploited the fact of terror to kick up repression and control by force”
New York Times on "Cause for Murder"
“Imagine a rural area where there is no electricity, no running water and no real schools for the children. Where local strongmen and a corrupt government plunder natural resources and conspire to keep the peasantry suppressed. That's not a description of some faraway continent. It's how certain parts of Mexico are portrayed in 'Cause for Murder,' a compelling documentary to be broadcast tonight as the latest program in the PBS series 'Wide Angle.' ”
S.F. Chronical on "Presumed Guilty: Tales of the Public Defenders"
“Television movies, not to mention cop and lawyer series, only dream of having the goods that "Presumed Guilty" has bursting out of its seams... Forget "The Practice" or "Philly" or any of the other courtroom dramas. "Presumed Guilty" is the real deal, and the richness the filmmakers extract from the public defenders' real lives is riveting television.”
For 25 years Skylight Pictures has been committed to producing artistic, challenging and socially relevant independent documentary films on issues of human rights and the quest for justice. Through the use of film and digital technologies, we seek to engage, educate and increase understanding of human rights amongst the public at large and policy makers, contributing to informed decisions on issues of social change and the public good. 
