AllMovie

During the war that swept through the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 1990s, many soldiers used rape as a weapon against female citizens, and over 80,000 women were sexually assaulted during the conflict. As shocking as this is, what's more appalling is that rape in the Congo didn't end with the war finally coming to a close in 2003; while a large number of men continue to violate women, local custom has it that the female victims are responsible for the crime rather than their male attackers, and most rapes go unreported as families believe making the attacks public knowledge will bring shame on their household. Filmmakers Ilse van Velzen and Femke van Velzen examine the ugly legacy of rape in the Congo in the documentary Fighting The Silence, in which they interview a number of rape victims who share their anger and shame about the crimes and the men who attacked them. The directors also interview law enforcement officers, who take a cavalier attitude to the notion of sexual assault, as well as the families of victims and several accused rapists. Fighting The Silence was an official selection at the 2008 London International Documentary Festival.