Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information (Kigali)
17 March 2008
Kigali — As violence by thousands of militias rages in DR Congo, women have suffered the brunt of the conflict - from brutal rape and abuse as the world looks on. It is now time that something is done, a new documentary suggests.
'The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo,' a chilling documentary chronicling the endemic sexual assault of women and girls in the DRC, will makes its broadcast debut April 8 on HBO.
Directed, produced and filmed by Ms. Lisa F. Jackson, a two-time Emmy Award winner, 'Rape In The Congo' garnered a Special Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, according to a review by Reed Business Information.
The film takes viewers into the war-torn region of eastern DRC where rape victims, rapists, activists and law enforcement officials provide first-hand accounts of the systemic sexual assaults plaguing the region.
Ms. Jackson, who is scheduled to testify during an April 1 Senate subcommittee hearing on human rights and the law, said the documentary challenges audiences to consider "what dark forces are at work in a world that has allowed more than 250,000 women and girls to suffer such atrocities without offering them either solace or justice."
Victims tell Ms. Jackson that rape is often carried out with impunity by gangs of armed militia, leaving them traumatized, shunned by society and family and, often, infected with diseases including HIV.
'Rape In The Congo' debuts April 8 at 10 p.m. (ET) and HBO will replay the film on throughout the month.
Jackson's previous HBO credits include "Addicted," "Life Afterlife" and "Why Am I Gay?"
The UN estimates that at least 400,000 civilians have been displaced in the North Kivu province in the latest bout of fighting. Rape cases have also shot up by more than 50 percent.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
