A harrowing and important film by acclaimed director, Manon Loizeau, on the use of rape as a weapon of war in Syria with personal testimonies from women abused in captivity.
This film shows how the rape of women was systematically organised and premeditated by Assad’s regime. The perpetrators rely on the silence of the victims who risk rejection by their own family and even a death sentence if they speak out.
These women’s stories are painful to hear. Held in basements and prisons and repeatedly raped by their captors for having committed “crimes,” such as participating in peaceful demonstrations, they have nowhere to turn. If they speak about what they suffered they might lose everything. Their family, their clan and maybe even their life because they risk ‘honour killings’. Women who have been raped or suspected of having been raped are not only stigmatized and excluded but they can also be killed, including by members of their family.
Following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya fell into chaos as rival factions struggled for control of the country. One of the silent weapons used was systematic male rape.
More infoTens of thousands of men, women and children have disappeared into secret detention centres in Syria since the protests began in 2011. Survivors allege crimes against humanity. They’re fighting to free those still detained and to prosecute the perpetuators at the very top of the regime.
More infoIn the space of just a few years, Chechnya has undergone a remarkable transformation. Gone are the minefields and piles of rubble, replaced with broad avenues, luxury boutiques and glass-fronted skyscrapers. It’s virtually impossible to see there was ever a war.
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