A festival in England has premiered two powerful films on Africa. 'Iron
Ladies from Liberia' and 'The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo' moved
audiences at the Human Rights Watch International film festival in London.

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 17, 2008) (REUTERS) -
Unlike many film festivals across the world, Human Rights Watch Film
Festival brings together films which highlight injustices and breaches in
human rights across the world, some of which educate and shock the
audience.
    'Iron Ladies from Liberia' and 'The Greatest Silence: Rape in the
Congo' which premiered at the festival in London on Monday (March 17) proved
to be no exception.
    The former takes a unique behind the scenes look at the achievements
and struggles of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's first year of presidency as Liberia's
and Africa's first elected female president.
    Siatta Scott Johnson, co-director, who has worked as a journalist in
Liberia for the last five years said she felt the president was a great role
model for women. 
    Following 2005 elections, Johnson-Sirleaf struggled to rebuild Liberia
after a 14-year civil war that left 200,000 dead. 
    Johnson put Johnson-Sirleaf's success down to her charisma. "I
think what makes Ellen so successful is her charisma. She has that leadership
quality that brings her so low to the people. She doesn't set herself up as a
leader people don't get to easily. So I think that style of leadership has
made her successful."
    Johnson-Sirleaf made the fight against corruption one of her priorities
upon entering office. 
    Johnson praised Johnson-Sirleaf for setting up an auditing commission
which has proved very effective in dealing with corruption. 
    Johnson-Sirleaf's reason for being dubbed the Iron Lady shines through
in the documentary. It is clear her style of governance and personality has
pushed Liberia forward, begging the question what will the future hold when
she steps down?
    Johnson said Johnson-Sirleaf was laying good foundations from where she
hoped the next government would start.
    A powerful  film, 'The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo' was
directed by Lisa Jackson, who ventured into war-torn eastern Congo to document
the rape and violent mutilation of women occurring in staggering proportions.

    A victim of gang rape herself, she chose to tell the stories of rape
victims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo because she felt their
experiences were largely unknown. 
    "I think what is happening in Eastern Congo could really
authentically be called a femicide. Women and children are intentionally and
systematically being targeted. And the rapes that they are suffering aren't
what you might call normal rapes. They are raped by ten, fifteen men at a
time. Bayonets, wood, guns, objects are inserted into their vaginas with the
intention of really destroying them. Destroying them inside, many of them will
never have children - they are infected with HIV. They have been shunned by
their families, kicked out by their husbands. Basically become pariahs and
this is in addition to the tremendous psychological damage any rape victim
suffers."  
    Jackson walks deep into the bush with a group of armed rebels,
accompanied only by her translator, to question the men who have perpetrated
these crimes. 
    "These thugs so wanted to be interviewed", she said.
"They really did want to be on video tape bragging about what they had
done that if anything had happened to me or my camera they wouldn't have had
their moment of fame. And so it was that moment I knew I was going to be
okay." 
    Jackson saw the spirit of the Congolese women who often ended up living
together as outcasts in a community but raised the question of the fate of the
next generation. Children born as a result of rape, many abandoned or
orphaned, were growing up with a stigma attached.
    Jackson said the Congolese and international community had an enormous
task ahead of them in helping the younger generation deal with the trauma they
had suffered. 
    Audience member Karl was very moved by Jackson's film. "I think it
is a very important piece of work and I hope it gets distributed widely,"
he said. 
    Abida Holstenberg said she found it to be an educating experience.
"I really value the Human Rights Watch film festival. I came last year
for the first time, somebody told me about it and I came almost every day and
have learnt so much about what's happening in different parts in the
world," she said.