The Invisible War is a film about the all too common, profoundly distressing problem of sexual assault in the American military. The film gets some of its power from the statistics alone: the military estimates that one in five women and many men in the military has been the victim of sexual assault.  Victims are often discouraged from reporting such crimes because the attackers are their superiors, or those further up the chain either implicitly or even explicitly threaten their jobs and their careers.  Reports that are made are often ignored; instead, women are dismissed or even prosecuted themselves.

Many of the victims in this film grew up in military families, with a strong respect for the military and its traditions. The interviews of the women are remarkable. You will witness their courage, their candor and their struggle to make the military change its manner of handling reports of abuse. At a time when the military is a crucial source of employment and training for so many aspiring young people, and it is popular to tout “supporting our men and women in uniform,” the goals of these victims should be important to us all.

Called “haunting” by Time Magazine, “heartbreaking” by The Washington Post, and “unforgettable” by salon.com, The Invisible War was named one of the New York Times’ best ten films of the year.  Their review concluded, “This is not a movie that can be ignored.”

(The film includes victims’ descriptions of violent attacks but no violent or sexual images. It is recommended for ages 14 and older.)

Two free Screenings

1.   Wednesday, November 13, 2013
@ Ellen Driscoll Theater (Havens Elementary School)
325 Highland Ave / Piedmont 94611
6:30 pm: Reception | 7 pm: Film | 8:00 pm Facilitated community discussion
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2. Saturday, November 16, 2013
@ The New Parkway
474  24th Street / Oakland 94612
3:00 pm Film
Refreshments available for purchase