“Fighting the Silence: Sexual Violence against women in Congo” explores sexual violence in a culture that traditionally doesn’t acknowledge such a thing.  Three women feature prominently in the film – a community educator and two rape survivors.  The educator organizes discussions about rape with various groups – men, women, children and soldiers.  The two survivors share their personal experiences and the effects on their families.  One says that rape “is shameful, a taboo… it doesn’t exist here.”  The women’s husbands no longer wanted them around after what happened to them.

Many believe that foreign soldiers introduced rape as a way of destroying the Congo, but sexual violence continues to be a problem in the country.  There is now a law against sexual violence in the DRC, but this film makes clear that there is much more work to be done to combat gender inequality and sexual violence.

“Fighting the Silence” recently premiered at Amsterdam’s International Documentary Film Festival.  Ilse and Femke van Velzen (twin filmmakers) intend to show the film worldwide, starting a global discussion on sexual violence.  Mobile cinemas will be used to show the film in the Congo so that the people there can help choose which parts of the film are best to show at different screenings for policymakers, villagers, international peacemakers and other audiences.

“Fighting the Silence” is a very moving documentary, on par with PAI’s own award-winning advocacy films; watch the trailer below.

Tyler LePard, Media Manager