Belgian film profiles Congolese women's rights activist

After 35 years of making documentaries with a social conscience, Thierry Michel’s work is uncompromising; it follows the harrowing yet inspiring work of the doctor who repairs women sexually abused in ongoing conflicts in DRC. The majority are raped by militias and soldiers who use sex as a weapon of war to destroy communities. It is rare for women to report rape as in addition to the social stigmatisation, bringing perpetrators to justice is extremely difficult. Founder of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, the doctor’s determination to repair not only the physical, but the psychological damage inflicted on these women, has driven him to become an effective campaigner for gender equality.  Awarded the EU’s highest human rights accolade, the Sakharov Prize in 2014, Dr Mukwege is again nominated for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. After prizes at human rights festivals in The Hague, Brussels and Montreal; The Man who Mends Women: The Wrath of Hippocrates is to be screened in Paris, New York, Washington and Geneva later this year.

How did the project come about?

The doctor was already a well-known personality in the Congo before receiving the Sakharov Prize. I had made many films denouncing power (L’Affaire Chebeya, un crime d’Etat?; Mobuto, roi du Zaïre;  Zaïre, le Cycle du serpent), but here was an African role model, showing conviction, courage and commitment. What really convinced me was the assassination attempt on him and his family in which a member of his entourage was killed. He needed to be protected and a film made showing the alchemy of his character, where he comes from and how he has developed the conviction to deal with all these obstacles. When I met him, he knew that I had just come out of a legal trial and expulsion from the Congo. We said this could be a dangerous cocktail and if it succeeded, could provide greater scope by tackling crucial subjects such as impunity. For the first time it subscribes the doctor in the history of the Congo and the war that has ravaged the eastern part of the country over the past 20 years. As well as the image of a good doctor who treats women in his hospital, it is a portrait of an activist and campaigner who is trying to bring an end to this cycle of violence.

Was this your first collaboration with journalist and Africa specialist Colette Braeckman?

We are friends but had never worked together although we found ourselves together at the worst moments, such as during the Gombe war in Kinshasa in 1991, hiding behind sandbags and asking ourselves how we were going to get out. She was developing a parallel project and we were both competing for finance, so we said, ‘Why make two films when we could make one?’ It was a magnificent experience and a real force of strength when filming and it also helped me obtain a visa. Colette represented the power of the printed press and I had my reputation in films, so there was short-term and long-term influence whenever we ran into problems. Even with the rebels, doors opened. We also have a similar way of working in the field, taking risks and going where we were told not to go, combined with a knowledge of the country and its culture.

Considering the horrific nature of the atrocities, how did you find the right perspective?

It was a catharsis for people to tell us what they had experienced, to be recognised as victims and eyewitnesses. Our problem was that we could not interview everybody. I think the film avoids voyeurism; we gave a voice to people who want to express it and there are not many images that are too shocking. I think the audience can understand what is behind the images we have shown. What was important and I think worked well with the help of Colette, was to show not only the pain but the resilience of these women. For example, Jeanne and Alphonsine have undergone a dozen operations, they are incontinent for life, will never marry or have children, yet they have constructed new lives. We also see how these women work collectively, as activists in search of legal redress while the doctor has the magnetism to pass on this message of resilience and resistance. He is a doctor who repairs women, not only surgically,  but by bringing judicial assistance because without legal defence, they remain victims. When he is in the operating room treating another little girl less than five years-old, and 15 have passed before her and others are still waiting, we see his exasperation. This leads him to organise public meetings. There we see women capable of organising themselves. The doctor calls on men to take action because women are not backed up by their fathers, husbands, sons. If there is  passivity, it is no longer the case for women, but for men. This is a battle against the fatalism that exists in Congolese society.

The film is a portrayal of Dr Mukwege, a universal story of women overcoming sexual violence and ostracism from their communities, and a travelogue of the Kivu region. How did you combine these elements?

While the doctor is the backbone, the women are the heart and this balance is important. It was also necessary to return to the past to provide a context for the violence. I added a symbolic spokesperson to represent the women and this is the country, through its landscape, showing that it may be a paradise but for many it’s a living hell. I pay homage to the landscape because I have always been fascinated by the African continent and this region of mountains and lake. As for the music, I knew I wanted African music. I was lucky to meet the great Edo Bumba, a real talent from Bukavu and from the same religious group as the doctor. Bach had been in my head since I was a film student. In my political films, I like to provide some spirituality and I wanted to give this film universality. After the passion there is renaissance and the doctor, like a prophet, represents this. When we see two girls, handicapped, there is a joy and confidence about their lives and future. In all my films, I’m careful to attempt a balance between life and death.

It is impossible to watch this film without being physically and emotionally moved. How did you personally maintain an emotional distance?

That’s a sensitive question as I had a 24-hour emotional breakdown during the filming and can no longer watch the film. It was the second time in my career, the first when filming Congo River ten years ago which also touched on women and rape. . There are many films about war and suffering, but this is a documentary and that is its strength. We see a child who has lost an eye and and can no longer go to school. I know this can be ordeal for the audience. With the distributor, we were worried that it would put people off, but the audience is there. It’s also a positive film as we see women who are able to rebuild their lives. For example, Alphonsine did not know how to read or write and now hopes to become a doctor.

What is your abiding image of Dr Mukwege?

I realise he is a man who’s aware of being afraid, as violence marked his life when he was young. After the attempt on his life when his family were taken hostage, he could have remained in Europe and enjoyed a comfortable life. But he returned to his home country with his family and now he finds himself almost imprisoned at the hospital, guarded by UN soldiers. This requires an enormous amount of bravery and shows his determination. I was also surprised to see him, this son of a pastor, in front of thousands of Pentecostals. He has a deep religious conviction without being a fundamentalist.

What can be done to support women’s rights in the Congo?

There a number of organisations that can be supported as well as the Panzi Hospital. Lawyers can rally behind Lawyers Without Borders (Avocats Sans Frontières), as can prosecutors, because of the deficiencies in the Congo. Forensic scientists can help establish a police forensic unit. Despite the presence of the United Nations (1m men, budget of €1.5m) there is no DNA testing in rape cases. A superhuman effort is not necessary, simply a laboratory and forensic service. There are collaborations, including a University of Liège University psychological reconstruction project, it’s a question of budget. The most important aspect is the fight against impunity. There are two fundamental points. The first is that the country should not be afraid to bring to justice people who are responsible for hundreds and thousands of deaths and massacres; there is a need for strong political pressure so that the Congolese authorities abandon the amnesty which pardons these crimes. The second point is the question of mineral mining on which the US government has already taken a position and Europe is now making progress. We need to stifle the causes of these wars and violence. It’s clear that that if there were not gold, diamond and mineral resources, particularly coltan (colombo tantalite ore), a precious metal used in mobile phones, these wars would have never happened. Territories have been successively occupied by different armies and these women have been raped as weapons of war. The destruction of female genitalia is also the humiliation and destruction of families and communities. If society cannot react to what is happening in the Congo because it constitutes interference, mineral companies will continue to profit. About 90% of these companies are part of a mafia network. We cannot permanently supply blood minerals because they finance terror and violence. There is a polarisation between those politicians who are in favour of liberalisation and who say, ‘No, we cannot impose on society’, and others, social democrats and greens, who have taken a position that is, ‘No, like the Americans, we must stop them’. I’ve participated in lots of debates on the issue and have seen that public pressure and the media are also influential. The doctor feels quite alone in his country because even the authorities are not of much help. He faces many obstacles so global support is fundamental for him.

L’Homme qui répare des femmes. La Colère d’Hippocrate (Belgium 2015, 112 mins) by Thierry Michel and Colette Braeckman, directed by Michel. French, English & Dutch versions