The Invisible War

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Movie
German title The Invisible War
Original title The Invisible War
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2012
length 97 minutes
Rod
Director Kirby Dick
script Kirby Dick
production Amy Ziering
Tanner King Barklow
camera Thaddeus Wadleigh
Kirsten Johnson
cut Douglas Blush
Derek Boonstra

The Invisible War is a 2012 documentary directed by Kirby Dick about rape in the American military . The film premiered on January 20, 2012 at the Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Audience Award for Best Documentary . At the 2013 Academy Awards , the film was nominated in the Best Documentary Category . In Germany, the film was shown in June 2013 at the Munich Film Festival .

content

The Invisible War features interviews with former members of the US armed forces who share their experiences as victims of sexual violence in the military. Issues addressed in all reports include the inability to appeal to an impartial judicial system, reprisals against victims rather than perpetrators, lack of psychological and physical care for survivors, unhindered career advancement for perpetrators and the Exclusion of survivors from service.

In addition to these reports, the film also contains interviews with activists, journalists, psychologists, active and retired generals, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the military justice system . Congressmen interviewed are Susan Davis ( Democrats , California ), Chellie Pingree (Democrats, Maine ), Ted Poe ( Republicans , Texas ), Loretta Sanchez (Democrats, California), Louise Slaughter (Democrats, New York ), Jackie Speier (Democrats, California ), Niki Tsongas (Democrats, Massachusetts ), and Mike Turner (Republicans, Ohio ). The film also shows short sequences filmed by the survivors themselves, which document their lives after the attacks.

The film details the case of an American Coast Guard veteran who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and a broken jaw when she was raped by a supervisor and who is not receiving assistance from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for treatment of the jaw injury. Five female Marines report sexual assaults at Marine Barracks Washington , the oldest and most prestigious base of the US Marine Corps. Past incidents of abuse in the military that are picked up in the film include: For example, the Tailhook scandal , the Aberdeen scandal, and the United States Air Force Academy scandal in 2003, in which, according to a survey by the academy, large numbers of female cadets reported sexual harassment and the academy administration knew about it did nothing.

Consequences

Two days after the film had looked at 14 April 2012, adopted Defense Secretary Leon Panetta a policy that decreed that all cases of sexual violence by a Colonel to be edited or higher-ranking officers and not, as before by a Commanding Officer decided become. The handling of such cases by commanders was a point of criticism. The film presented data from the Department of Defense showing that 33% of rape victims in the military do not report the rape because their commander is friends with the perpetrator. Another 25% decide against filing a complaint because their commander is the perpetrator. Panetta later told a producer on the film that The Invisible War influenced his decision to change the existing rule. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Mark A. Welsh , met with all active Lieutenant Colonels that same year to watch the film together. According to a film distributor who supplies the military and other facilities, The Invisible War was seen by 235,000 military personnel - roughly 10% of the 2.9 million active soldiers and reservists .

According to the New York Times , the film has helped more women report sexual abuse and forced the military to be more open about the problem. The Times also cited The Invisible War as an impetus for hearings in the United States House Committee on Armed Services on January 23, 2013 on sexual abuse in the military. For example, during the hearing, the film was mentioned by Mike Turner . In another US Senate subcommittee hearing on March 13, 2013, politicians and military officials discussed the use of The Invisible War in programs to reduce sexual abuse in the military.

reception

According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , The Invisible War was received positively in 59 reviews, which equates to a positive rating of 100%. The film was u. a. Named one of the best films of 2012 by the New York Times and Time .

Awards

Won
Nominated

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Peter Rainer: The Invisible War: movie review: The issue of rape in the US military is explored in this essential documentary. In: Christian Science Monitor , June 27, 2012.
  2. ^ Cassie M. Chew: 'The Invisible War' Changing the Conversation on Rape in the Military . In: PBS , February 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ Kate Taylor, The Military's 'Invisible War:' A Call To Action To Stop Sexual Assaults . In: Forbes , June 21, 2012.
  4. ↑ Mike Magner: Exposing Military Predators ( Memento of the original from January 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: National Journal , May 29, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.nationaljournal.com
  5. ↑ Eleanor Clift: ' The Invisible War' Spurs Action Against Military Rape . In: The Daily Beast , February 23, 2013.
  6. ↑ Rebecca Huval: The Movie That Revolutionized the Discussion about Military Rape . In: PBS , March 14, 2013.
  7. ^ Loeren Ortega: Our Opinionated Judge on 'The Invisible War' . In: The Portland Observer , July 2, 2013.
  8. ↑ Anna Simonton: 'It Happens At All Bases, All Branches': An Interview with the Makers of 'The Invisible War' . In: The Nation , April 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ Steve Pond: Military Rape Documentary 'Invisible War' Leads to Policy Changes Before Its Opening . In: The Wrap , June 18, 2012.
  10. ↑ Ben Child: Documentary about rape in the US military changes government policy . In: The Guardian , June 19, 2012.
  11. ^ Ruth Marcus: Military leaders' wrongheaded victim-blaming . In: Washington Post , May 10, 2013.
  12. ↑ Alyssa Rosenberg: 'The Invisible War': How Oscar's Military Rape Documentary Might Change Everything . In: The Daily Beast , February 7, 2013.
  13. ↑ James Risen: Air Force Leaders Testify on Culture That Led to Sexual Assaults of Recruits . In: The New York Times , January 23, 2013.
  14. ↑ Larry Rohter: A Documentarian Focused on Trauma in Its Many Forms . In: The New York Times , January 23, 2013.
  15. ^ House Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on Sexual Misconduct at Lackland Air Force Base, Panel 1 (PDF; 1.7 MB). Congressional Transcripts, Congressional Hearings, January 23, 2013.
  16. ↑ Hearing to receive testomony on sexual assault in the military ( Memento of the original from October 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . United States Senate, March 13, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.armed-services.senate.gov
  17. ^ The Invisible War (2012) . On: Rottentomatoes.com .
  18. ↑ Top 100 Movies of 2012 . On: Rottentomatoes.com .
  19. ↑ Steven Holden: The Year of the Body Vulnerable . In: The New York Times , December 14, 2012.
  20. ^ Richard Corliss: Top 10: Best Movies . In: Time Entertainment , December 4, 2012.

Web links