Hi everyone!
Welcome back to Documentary Thursdays! Not gonna lie, today’s documentary is going to be tough, covering one of the most violent regions of the world, but from the perspective of one community who has said, “ENOUGH!”. For related documentaries, check out “Last Men in Aleppo” (Episode #032) about the effect of war on Syria, “Human Flow” (Episode #074) and “Fire at Sea” (Episode #151) about the ongoing refugee crisis, and “Sara’s Notebook” (Episode #150) for a fictional story set near the Congo in a similar situation. And if you have any suggestions or comments, let me know at onemoviepunch.com.
And now...
Today’s movie is “City of Joy” (2016), the Netflix Original Documentary from Madeleine Gavin. The documentary follows the history of the City of Joy, a safe haven founded in the Eastern Congo for women that have been victims of rape and abuse from the ongoing violence in the region. The women learn to heal and learn the skills needed to help themselves and others within the region.
And a very serious trigger warning. I’ve been following the situation in the Congo for years via multiple interviews with Eve Ensler on Democracy Now among other outlets regarding the absolute horror of the violence in the Congo. This film is going to cover some graphic stories of rape and abuse, more graphic than most folks are probably used to, and yes, more graphic than you think as well. However, as Eve Ensler says, we must keep sharing these stories until the violence stops. But if that’s going to be too much for you, and absolutely no judgment if it is, then take a hard pass on this film and we’ll see you tomorrow.
Spoilers ahead.
Gender violence is a blight on our species, a culturally-induced horror perpetuated by men for almost all of recorded history. I make no apologies for my fellow men engaged in any form of gender violence, from the smallest microaggressions to the worst stories of domestic and sexual abuse. Every act of violence is an act of power by those men, used in such a way to show dominance or control, and each one is abhorrent. We often individualize these traumas, treating them as these one-off phenomena by bad actors or bad practices. But in the Congo, gender violence is being used as a weapon of war, with militias literally raping and pillaging towns, and driving women out of communities and into urban areas for a semblance of safety. It is the absolute worst of humanity engaged in these vicious acts, and they are funded by folks like you and me, indirectly when we purchase goods that rely on the minerals being extracted in the DRC, or directly, depending on if you own stocks in the multi-national corporations funding the mining. What should be common wealth going to developing the DRC has instead turned it into a militia-controlled war zone. You would think there’s no hope to be found. And you would be wrong.
I cried so much watching this documentary, both tears of sorrow and tears of joy, and often in rapid succession. “City of Joy” covers the formation and mission of the safe haven that has taken in victims of gender violence, from Dr. Denis Mukwege’s original hospital to the founding of the City of Joy with the help of Christine Schuler-Deschryver and Eve Ensler. And yes, that Eve Ensler, the compiler and presenter of “The Vagina Monologues”, which gets a necessary mention in this film, and who has her own dark past with sexual abuse. She has also worked tirelessly since 2007 to earn the trust of their community on this very project. The three of them have worked together and with the women who have passed through their program, helping women who have seen the worse of human cruelty find their courage and their voice again. Every year, as we find out at the end, 180 women graduate from the City of Joy, who head back to their communities to start empowering them, to fight against the militias, and to continue educating everyone.
But we don’t get here without some extremely disturbing stories, particularly the story of Jane Mukunilwa, whose own painful story will affect anyone, but also whose amazing story of revitalization and empowerment exemplifies hope in even the worst situations. These women, alone, would have had every reason to give up, but together, and empowered, they are standing against the norming of sexual violence, and charting a new path. This is how rebuilding happens in war-torn areas, and this is the kind of bottom-up, grassroots collectivism that will provide the foundation on which new societies will be built. I wasn’t sure exactly what the future of the DRC would look like after the end of this film, but I know it will be something better than we could ever imagine, and it will come to fruition from a wave of empowered African women who will literally transform society.
“City of Joy” (2016) is a story of hope coming from horror, a demonstration of both the worst and the best within humanity. While dealing with gender violence and sexual assault, the safe haven not only heals their physical wounds, but also their mental and spiritual wounds, truly working to make these women whole. Fans of empowering documentaries, or folks who want to know how communities can organize against fear, should definitely check out this film, but please heed all the necessary trigger warnings, because it gets bad. But it also gets better.
Rotten Tomatoes: NR
Metacritic: NR
One Movie Punch: 9.4/10
“City of Joy” (2016) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix and playing in select theaters.
Also, if want to give directly to the City of Joy, there are multiple ways you can help, even from your desk or phone. Head over to cityofjoycongo.org, click on “How You Can Help”, and get involved. Together we can end gender violence.
