Why had Srebrenica had to fall? Or was the mass murder in Srebrenica not planned? This documentary puts a new light on Srebrenica and the mass murder. Documents about the events in Srebrenica are giving new insights that are rising even more questions.

Could the international community prevent the conquest of the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica and the murder of the more than 8000 Muslim men by Bosnian Serb forces? This documentary investigated and encountered new facts. Together with Joris Voorhoeve, Minister of Defense at the time of the fall, we travel back to Srebrenica. It is his first visit to the former enclave since the mass murder.


The Bosnian Muslim enclave of Srebrenica was captured on 11 July 1995 by General Ratko Mladić's troops. Dutch soldiers stationed under the UN flag in the enclave could not prevent this. In the days that followed more than eight thousand Muslim men were murdered. It is the largest mass murder in Europe since the Second World War. The Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) conducted more than five years of research into the events. The thousand-page report led to the resignation of the Kok cabinet in 2002. This was followed by a parliamentary inquiry.
For the documentary, the makers filmed former minister Joris Voorhoeve, who is still struggling with the fall of Srebrenica. He spoke on his journey with researchers and survivors. Both for them and for the former minister the main question remains: why did not air support come in the early morning of 11 July 1995 when the mass murder could still have been prevented? Air support that was promised in January 1994 when the Dutch government agreed to deliver troops to the United Nations. A promise that was repeated in July 1995 but was broken.

Originally broadcasted by VPRO in 2015.
© VPRO Backlight June 2015

On VPRO broadcast you will find nonfiction videos with English subtitles, French subtitles and Spanish subtitles, such as documentaries, short interviews and documentary series.
VPRO Documentary publishes one new subtitled documentary about current affairs, finance, sustainability, climate change or politics every week. We research subjects like politics, world economy, society and science with experts and try to grasp the essence of prominent trends and developments.

Subscribe to our channel for great, subtitled, recent documentaries.

Visit additional youtube channels bij VPRO broadcast:
VPRO Broadcast, all international VPRO programs:    / vprobroadcast  
VPRO DOK, German only documentaries:    / @vprodok  
VPRO Metropolis, remarkable stories from all over the world:    / vprometropolis  
VPRO World Stories, the travel series of VPRO:    / vproworldstories  
VPRO Extra, additional footage and one off's:    / @vproextra3443  
www.VPRObroadcast.com

Credits:
Director: Bart Nijpels
English, French and Spanish subtitles: Ericsson.
French and Spanish subtitles are co-funded by European Union.