Synopsis
- During the Second World War thousands of women in Asia were forced to work as prostitutes for Japanese soldiers. Some of them were still teenagers. They were raped, often beaten and abused. The Japanese called them “ianfu” or Comfort Women. After the war the survivors struggled to continue with their lives, hiding what many considered to be a “shame”. After having been silent for more than 50 years they have started to tell their stories. Until today, they are waiting for an adequate compensation and official acknowledgment of their victimization. They are in their Eighties and Nineties now and time is running out for them. This intimate, touching film tells the story of nine comfort women in the Philippines and follows their efforts to find justice before they die.
Winner of “The Voice That Break the Silence” Award at Fusagasuga International Film Festival in Colombia.
The jury's statement: “Sexual violence is one of the taboos about women are silent, because it undermines our bodies but also against our dignity and honour. When violence occurs in a context of conflict, sexual violence becomes a war weapon to demoralize the enemy and break communities. The existence of "comfort centers" created by the Japanese during World War II, where thousands of Filipino Women were enslaved is a reality that assails us and raises a question: How is it possible that we did not know? The value of these women, grandmothers, “Lolas”, shows that the voice of women, when added to other voices, can break the silence and transform history.”
Crew
- Editor (Cut): Alexander Laudien
- Score: Jörg Winkelmann
- Co-Author: Crisanta Alcaraz-Jensen, Bettina Ehrhardt
- Production company: GINGER FOOT FILMS
