Directed by Vanessa Block Cinematography Vanessa Block | Music by Nathan Pangrazio Edited by Michael Sarnoski | |
Produced by Vanessa BlockSteve TischMitchell BlockMichael Sarnoski Productioncompany Atria FilmEscape Artists | ||
The Testimony is a 2015 American short-documentary film which chronicles the largest rape tribunal in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of M23 rebellion fighting. It is directed and shot by Vanessa Block and produced by Block, Steve Tisch, Mitchell Block and Michael Sarnoski. The Testimony was shortlisted with ten other documentaries from 74 entries submitted to the 88th Academy Awards in Documentary Short Subject category. The final five nominations are scheduled to be announced on January 14, 2016.
Plot
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 rebellion drove the Congolese Army out of the Eastern city of Goma. 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 documentary 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.