Weapon of War

Wherever war rages, soldiers commit rape. Nowhere is the sexual violence against women as widespread as it is in the Congo.

In the armed conflict that has lasted for decades, official estimations claim that over one hundred and fifty thousand women and girls have become victims of rape. In reality, this number is much higher, due to many women denying having been raped, either out of shame or fear of rejection. Dutch documentary makers Ilse and Femke van Velzen, directors of the internationally awarded documentary Fighting the Silence, give the floor to the perpetrators in Weapon of War.

The documentary tells the stories of a soldier and a former rebel. What motivated them? The former rebel explains how during the war, he turned into a beast. In an attempt to reconcile with his past, he decides to meet one of his victims. The soldier is a priest in the army. He sees it as his mission to confront rapists with the consequences of their crimes. Although he met with opposition and lack of understanding from other soldiers, he is determined to change their behavior - just as he did his own.