film

Silent War

directed by Manon Loizeau, France/ Switzerland 2017, 72'

  • Note: Due to its extreme content, this film is intended for adult viewers only.
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  • Rape has always gone hand in hand with war, and the parties to a conflict have always used it as a tool to intimidate their enemy’s society. But this sort of sweeping generalization does nothing to reflect the enormous suffering that Syrian women have experienced during the war in their country. Manon Loizeau has been documenting the most dangerous places in the world for years. This time, she gives a voice to women who have lived through unimaginable horrors. Among them are sex slaves, raped for months on end by Assad's officers while being held in prison; mothers who, after being raped, are forced to watch their children die. The horrors of the brutality directed by the regime against its own citizens are terrifying. Although the subjects of Loizeau's film managed to survive and escape the country, their nightmare continues. They cannot get any psychological assistance, and they can expect the worst from their families: in their culture, rape means dishonor for the entire family.
  • 2017 DOK Leipzig