On Tuesday, October 23, the 2012 Sundance Audience Award-winning documentary “The Invisible War” screens at LNHP Visitor Center

THE INVISIBLE WAR (2012)
Tuesday, October 23 @ 6PM
Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center
246 Market Street, Lowell
[Parking/GPS: 304 Dutton Street, Lowell]
Free admission!

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Presented by the Office of Congresswoman Niki Tsongas and featuring a post-film Q&A/panel discussion:

Jennifer Norris / Military Sexual Trauma Advocate from the Military Rape Crisis Center

Judy Atwood Bell / A Veteran of the US Army

Emily Mears / A Veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard

Stacy Malone, Executive Director / Victim Rights Law Center

Isa Woldeguiorguis, Executive Director/ Lowell Center for Hope and Healing

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From Oscar®-and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Twist of Faith) comes The Invisible War, a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America’s most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem — today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering 22,800 violent sex crimes in the military in 2011. Twenty percent of all active-duty female soldiers are sexually assaulted. Female soldiers aged 18 to 21 accounted for more than half of the victims.

Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories of rape victims, The Invisible War is a moving indictment of the systemic cover-up of military sex crimes, chronicling the women’s struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. It also features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm of conditions that exist for rape in the military, its long-hidden history, and what can be done to bring about much-needed change.   

To combat this growing epidemic, Congresswoman Tsongas introduced the Defense Sexual Trauma Response, Oversight and Good Governance Act (The Defense STRONG Act). Signed into law by President Obama, the legislation enables victims to access legal counsel, maintain confidentiality when speaking with victim advocates, grants victims the right to transfer out of their base or unit, and provides greater training for sexual assault prevention at every level of the armed services.

 We invite you to stay for the post-film Q&A and panel discussion with Congresswoman Tsongas and the esteemed guest panelists listed above.

> Learn more at InvisibleWarMovie.com

> Read the Press Release on this event

Please note: The opinions and views expressed in this public event are not necessarily those of Lowell National Historical Park or the Lowell Film Collaborative.