“The Testimony," the third documentary short I have seen of the 10 shortlisted titles in the running for the Oscar® nomination, is a 12 minute short produced by Atria Film in association with Escape Artists, Ryot Films and Vulcan Productions. Directed by first time filmmaker Vanessa Block, the film is a beautifully shot, almost impressionistic but surprisingly complete account by the women victims of rape during the Congo internal conflicts.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has cost more lives than any other since World War II. In November 2012, the M23 rebels drove the Congolese Army out of the Eastern city of Goma. Shamed and demoralized, government soldiers retreated to Minova, where they systematically raped hundreds of their own civilians. The atrocity drew international outrage, the global community promising intervention. “The Testimony” chronicles the largest rape trial in Congo's history, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the lives of its women and the unshakable strength of the human spirit.
Women speak about how they are shunned by husbands, fathers and families and are left with children to raise who then are put to work farming and unable to be educated. Women are used as weapons of war. Activists, women themselves, are threatened for their actions bringing women together, speaking up for themselves. When 39 soldiers for the Republic were brought to a trial (with one woman judge and a slew of males) women dared to speak of the atrocities committed against them, but hid under veils so as not to be punished later. Only two soldiers were convicted, but it was a start, although rape still goes on with impunity. Vanessa Block gives an upside, showing the farming collective of women, the schools for women and a spokesman for women who says that to educate a woman is to educate a nation.
Vanessa Block has done a brave thing to go to the Congo to film these brave women.
Web site: https://www.thetestimonyfilm.com/
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. Et/4 p.m. Pt. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has cost more lives than any other since World War II. In November 2012, the M23 rebels drove the Congolese Army out of the Eastern city of Goma. Shamed and demoralized, government soldiers retreated to Minova, where they systematically raped hundreds of their own civilians. The atrocity drew international outrage, the global community promising intervention. “The Testimony” chronicles the largest rape trial in Congo's history, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the lives of its women and the unshakable strength of the human spirit.
Women speak about how they are shunned by husbands, fathers and families and are left with children to raise who then are put to work farming and unable to be educated. Women are used as weapons of war. Activists, women themselves, are threatened for their actions bringing women together, speaking up for themselves. When 39 soldiers for the Republic were brought to a trial (with one woman judge and a slew of males) women dared to speak of the atrocities committed against them, but hid under veils so as not to be punished later. Only two soldiers were convicted, but it was a start, although rape still goes on with impunity. Vanessa Block gives an upside, showing the farming collective of women, the schools for women and a spokesman for women who says that to educate a woman is to educate a nation.
Vanessa Block has done a brave thing to go to the Congo to film these brave women.
Web site: https://www.thetestimonyfilm.com/
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. Et/4 p.m. Pt. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
- 12/31/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
If there’s a trio of categories that aren’t given the respect that they deserve (or frankly, any respect at all), it’s the short film categories. Be it Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, or Best Live Action Short, they all are mostly ignored by the masses, especially when the first two have feature length cousins in Best Animated Feature and Best Documentary Feature to compete with as well. Still, they deserve to be noticed, so I wanted to quickly list what’s in contention this year. I’ve included the categories in my most recent Oscar prediction update, so there’s that as well. The Academy Awards are the sum total of all the categories, so these have their place, no doubt about that. It’s just a shame that more folks don’t recognize this. Here are the three short subject categories and the remaining contenders...
- 11/24/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Read More: Bentonville Film Festival Announces Theatrical Release Dates for Winners, Along with First Symposium Tour The first annual Laguna Film Festival, founded by 18-year-old filmmaker Austin Fickman, has announced its opening night slate and full lineup. The festival will screen short films from around the world. Lff's Opening Night Special Presentation films include: "Curt is," dir. Brendan Hearne "Minimum Wage," dir. Joey Alley "Solemates," dir. Bryce Dallas Howard "Taking Flight," dir. Brandon Oldenberg "The Testimony," dir. Vanessa Block "Winter Light," dir. Julian Higgins To see the full festival lineup, click here. The Lff will screen select films in competition and feature panel discussions with Hollywood professionals geared towards emerging filmmakers and will run October 16-18. Read More: 24th Annual Woods Hole Film Festival Announces Jury and Audience Award Winners...
- 10/15/2015
- by Aubrey Page
- Indiewire
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