Fighting the Silence (2007) is a 53 minute documentary made by Ilse and Femke van Velzen for IFPRODUCTIONS,  The Netherlands. The project was sponsored by ICCO, Oxfam-Novib, Cordaid, the Dutch Embassy in the DRC, United Broadcast Facilites, CMC and the Democracy and Media Foundation.

In “Fighting the Silence”, Ilse and Femke van Velzen give the victims of sexual violence the opportunity to tell their stories in a personal and very moving manner. The film highlights the horror of widespread rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo and through compelling images, shows the consequences of sexual violence and the first, faltering steps towards a remedy.  In “Fighting The Silence” not only do the victims tell their stories; the men who abandoned them tell of their motives. The dignified and understated presentation of this grave subject allows the viewer to absorb the narrative and cope with the subject matter.

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