The Invisible War (2012)

An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.

Director:

Kirby Dick

Writers:

Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering (additional writer)

Stars:

Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amy Ziering	...	Herself - Interviewer
Kirby Dick	...	Himself - Interviewer
Kori Cioca	...	Herself - US Coast Guard
Jessica Hinves	...	Herself - US Air Force
Robin Lynne Lafayette	...	Herself - US Air Force
Ariana Klay	...	Herself - US Marine Corps (as Lieutenant Ariana Klay)
Trina McDonald	...	Herself - US Navy
Elle Helmer	...	Herself - US Marine Corps (as Lieutenant Elle Helmer)
Hannah Sewell	...	Herself - US Navy
Rob McDonald	...	Himself - Kori's Husband, US Coast Guard
Robin Khale	...	Herself - US Marine Corps
Ayana Defour	...	Herself - US Army
Christina Jones	...	Herself - US Army
Debra Dickerson	...	Herself - US Air Force (as Ret. Captain Debra Dickerson)
Regina Vasquez	...	Herself - US Marine Corps

Storyline

An investigative and powerfully emotional documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, the institutions that perpetuate and cover up its existence, and its profound personal and social consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

military | rape | soldier | raped by a soldier | rapist | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

La Guerre invisible

Box Office

Gross USA:

$71,968, 28 February 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chain Camera Pictures,Rise Films,ITVS

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

A rare example of a film actually influencing government/military policy, end credits state that "On April 14.2012, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, watched this film. Two days later, he took the decision to prosecute away from unit commanders." However, it was noted that "this is not enough." The preceding is a true statement, but can be misleading. Military Commanders still hold prosecutorial discretion, but they can no longer be in the unit where the alleged misconduct had taken place. An "outside, higher ranking colonel" would now hold prosecutorial discretion.

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Quotes

Kori Cioca - US Coast Guard: Thank you for your sacrifice, in whatever shape it may come with serving. God Bless.

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Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Deadly Prey, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, and Miami Connection (2013)

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Soundtracks

Need Someone
Performed by Mary J. Blige
Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

simply a great documentary

There are a number of things Invisible War does well.

1. It conveys a point of view.

2. It's about a compelling subject.

3. It has sympathetic characters.

4. It has a narrative arc, which is challenging. It relies on the lawsuit and Cioca's disability claim.

5. The cinematography, audio and film making don't draw attention to themselves and distract from the subject.

I was quoted in a book about sexual assault in the military. In that book the author made the assumption there was some golden age before sexual assault was a problem in the military, a claim she offered no proof of.

I mention this because it's possible to tell the story of rape and sexual assault in the military and get it wrong.

This film uses a pretty hard-and-straight approach. It sticks to cases that are pretty well documented to illustrate the statistical picture create by the military's own data.

And the film has a couple villains to root against. The Air Force major general and her civilian predecessor come off as part clueless and part immoral.