A Love During The War manages a remarkable feat, telling an uplifting story of love that is utterly uncontrived, while situating it within the context of a bloody war and the horrifying phenomenon of systematic rape committed by militias and armies in the Congo.
The two lovers in question are journalist Aziza and her husband Dedier, who are separated by the outbreak of the Congo-Kinshasa war in 1996, a conflict that eventually claimed the lives of three million people. Direct, riveting interviews reveal the angst Aziza and Dedier endured throughout their six-year-long severance.
Through the actions of Aziza, who takes an interest in the brutal experiences of a young girl who was gang-raped by several uniformed men, director Osvalde Lewat-Hallade seamlessly synthesizes a personal story with an examination of the use of rape as a tool of war. The result is stirring and ultimately galvanizing, as one cannot help but feel awed by the courage and resilience of women who have overcome stigma and trauma to speak out.
Co-presented with HotDocs
Program notes by George Kaltsounakis
