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The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
2007, 76 minutes, Color, VHS/DVD, French, Swahili, Lingala, Mashi, Subtitled
Order No. W08930

Winner of the Sundance Special Jury Prize in Documentary, this extraordinary film, shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), shatters the silence that surrounds the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Many tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army. A survivor of gang rape herself, Emmy Award®-winning filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson travels through the DRC to understand what is happening and why.
Produced in association with HBO Documentary Films and the Fledgling Fund, this film features interviews with activists, peacekeepers, physicians, and even – chillingly – the indifferent rapists who are soldiers of the Congolese Army. Harrowing moments of the film come as dozens of survivors recount their stories with an honesty and immediacy that is pulverizing in its intimacy and detail, but this powerful film also provides inspiring examples of resiliency, resistance, courage and grace.
AWARDS, FESTIVALS, & SCREENINGS

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Sundance FF, Special Jury Prize: Documentary |
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London Human Rights Watch FF, Best of Fest |
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Roma Independent FF, Best Documentary |
- Human Rights Watch International FF, NY
- One World Int’l Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague
- San Francisco Human Rights Watch Int’l Film Festival
- Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
- Addis Int’l Film Festival on Rights and Justice, Addis Ababa
- Seattle Human Rights Watch Film Festival
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QUOTES

"[A] documentary of the highest calling."
The Hollywood Reporter
“Captures the stark reality of women’s and girls’ suffering and untold courage… You will never think about conflict in gender-neutral terms again.”
Karin Wachter
Int’l Rescue Committee, Gender-based Violence Technical Advisor
“Impressive…shows not only in candid and unapologetic detail the psychological trauma and horror endured by individual rape survivors, but also its broader cultural implications.”
Jeffrey W. Mantz
Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, George Mason University
“Exceptional lensing throughout this distressing and disturbing documentary.”
Joe Leydon
Variety
"An important tool for waking up the sleeping consciousness of humanity that continues to allow such injustices on women and children to go unchecked and unreported."
Chrys Ballerano
NY State Coalition Against Sexual Assault
"This film will long endure. A brave, extraordinary film in the great, courageous tradition of all who've spoken up for the rights of women for centuries."
Adam Hochschild, Award-winning Author
King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa
“Harrowing and heart-rending and maddening and confounding.”
Robert Lloyd
Los Angeles Times
"4 Stars. A moving, powerful, and deeply disturbing documentary. ...fills a crucial information void...Highly Recommended, Editor's Choice"
Video Librarian
“Highly Recommended. Jackson has created an extraordinary document that gives voice to the silent, and that asks the profound question ‘If a society can’t protect women and kids, what kind of society is that?’ ” – EMRO
Patricia B. McGee
Educational Media Reviews Online
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The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo is included in the following Special Collections.
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RELATED LINKS

Film’s official website
Watch the trailer, learn more about the filmmaker, visit the photo gallery.
Film's Page on the HBO Website
Preview the film, see a slideshow of survivor portraits, discussion boards, a resource list for taking action and more.
Review in theVariety
Review in the Los Angeles Times
Audio Report by NPR/BBC
Hear an official report which talks about how The Greatest Silence helped to inspire and prompted the U.N. Resolution classifying rape as a weapon of war.
Should Rape Be Considered a Weapon?
NPR’s Day to Day interviews Lisa F. Jackson about how her film has helped to raise awareness of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Zoom In Online Podcast interview with the filmmaker
Read the filmmaker’s letter to the New York Times
U.S. Senate Hearing on rape in the DRC "Rape as a Weapon of War: Accountability for Sexual Violence in Conflict "
Watch as the filmmaker and experts on the issue, including Dr. Denis Mukwege from Panzi Hospitol, testify before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law.
Open Society Institute Panel Discussion with Special Guests
Hear the filmmaker and experts on the issue, including Bernard Kalume—one of the film’s subjects—discuss causes and solutions to this human rights crisis.
Our Bodies - Their Battle Ground: Gender-based Violence in Conflict Zones
Report from IRIN, part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
The DRC featured in front-page story in The New York Times
“Rape Epidemic Raises Trauma of Congo War”, October 7, 2007
Women For Women International
Learn more about the issues, read about those working for change in the Congo, and get involved.
The Panzi Hospital of Bukavu
Visit the official website of the hospital featured in the film – read more about Dr. Mukwege, history of the hospitol, ways to get involved and contact information.
V-Day and UNICEF’s Official Campaign - Stop Raping our Greatest Resource: Power to Women in the DRC
Learn more about this campaign, the issues and what you can do to get involved.
Read full text of review from Educational Media Reviews Online
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FILMS ON THE MID-EAST
Interested in gaining more insight and background on the current conflict in the Middle East? Check out WMM’s powerful documentaries made by and about women in that region, including MY LAND ZION and WOMEN IN STRUGGLE.
More details.
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