| Chau, beyond the Lines | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Vanessa Block |
| Produced by | Vanessa Block Steve Tisch Mitchell Block Michael Sarnoski |
| Cinematography | Courtney Marsh |
| Edited by | Michael Sarnoski |
| Music by | Nathan Pangrazio |
Production companies | Atria Film Escape Artists |
| Distributed by | Concentric Media |
Release date | August 21, 2015 |
| Country | DRC |
The Testimony is a 2015 American short-documentary film about the military rape in Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of M23 rebellion fighting. It is directed 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 88th Academy Awards in Documentary Short Subject category.[1] The final five nominations is scheduled to announced on January 14, 2016.[2]
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, showing the unprecedented glimpse into the lives of its women and their strength.