Event

The INVISIBLE WAR

Women's International Film Festival

SPEAKER TO BE ANNOUNCED

From Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated) comes The Invisible War, a groundbreaking investigation about one of America's most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering
19,300 service members sexually assaulted in 2010 alone. Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories
of rape victims, The Invisible War chronicles the women's struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. It also features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm of conditions that exist for rape in the military, its long-hidden history, and what can be done to bring about much- needed change.While rape victims in the civilian world can turn to an impartial police force and judicial system for help and justice, rape victims in the military must turn to their commanders a move that is all too often met with foot-dragging at best, and reprisals at worst. Many rape victims find themselves forced to choose between speaking up and keeping their careers. Little wonder that only eight percent of military sexual assault cases are prosecuted. The Invisible War is a call for our civilian and military leadership to listen. And to act. (USA, 2012, 97 min., color, Blu-ray / Director: Kirby Dick)