Greatest Silence, The: Rape in the Congo

It is clear from the topic alone that the quality of this documentary depends on how much the women victims manage to “open up" in front of the camera. It is clear here that the author’s own experience with rape help her form a better rapport with those women and so get deeper under their skin. But her past experience is also a burden. It means that in many interviews she needlessly misses quantities of information that would have made their separate situations more remarkable. The focus here is on “one thing". As a result, especially toward the end, there is nothing to stop all of the stories blending into one mass. Which is a shame, but not a negative. While the author’s commentary that accompanies the whole documentary is. It is awfully literal in that annoying American way, explaining every last detail. Including everything that is patently obvious. It wouldn’t matter if this was just here and there, but in this there is just too much of it. And it also means killing lots of potentially emotionally powerful moments. Instead of letting the camera work alone, with silence that can speak volumes, the author just always supplies her “explanation" which (at least for me) is unbelievably irritating. But still a fascinating documentary despite everything. (12.03.2008)