There is a war raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A war of which the vast majority of us are unaware. A war on women. Everyday, women from all over the country are brutally raped, sometimes by many assailants at a time, by soldiers from within and without the country. Whether these women are mutilated by the brutality or forced to raise children by themselves after being shunned by their family and village, they still must deal with the atrocities alone. Though this has been going on for decades, very few of us have ever heard about it. Until now. Lisa F. Jackson, a survivor of rape herself, uses her documentary The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, to bring a voice to the women in Congo who have so far been unable to reach the eyes and ears of the global community.

Zoom In Online’s Jim Rohner talked to Lisa during the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival where she shared her thoughts on documenting the horrible stories of these women and the inexplicable hope and inspiration that still lives deep within them. For more information, visit www.thegreatestsilence.org. To purchase the film, visit Women Make Movies.

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Credits:

Producer: Jim Rohner
Editor: Jim Rohner
Host: Jim Rohner