SEMA was presented courtesy of The National Movement of Survivors of Sexual Violence in DR Congo as part of the Rising Up for Human Dignity Film Series.

Teaser of the movie SEMA directed by Machérie EKWA Produced and written by the women of the National Mouvement of survivors in RD Congo SEMA isa movie based ...

SEMA (which means “speak out” in Swahili) is a film about survival made by survivors. It follows the lives of two women from different environments whose lives are changed forever by rape, and who must find the strength to survive.

Thanks to the support of Dr Denis Mukwege, Panzi Hospital, and the courage of survivors, the Movement of Survivors of Sexual Violence in the DRC was formed. The Movement decided to create a film to tell the reality of what a survivor of sexual violence faces. The survivors of The Movement came together to write the screenplay based on their own real experiences. The majority of the acting roles are played by the survivors themselves. In order to create a truly powerful film, they bravely reenacted their own traumas. The survivors took on these parts consciously, realizing the benefit of artistic expression as part of the healing process.

Panelists for the discussion on the film included Maud-Salomé Ekila, Johana Amani and moderated by Aerlyn Pfeil.

Partners for this presentation include The National Movement of Survivors of Sexual Violence in DR Congo, Panzi Foundation, Panzi Hospital, Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation, Panzi Foundation USA, Action Kivu, Every Woman Treaty, Alliance for Peacebuilding and Enough Project.

The Rising Up For Human Dignity Film Series is brought to you by World Oregon, PSU Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Amnesty International USA Group 48,  and Never Again Coalition

About the panelists:

Maud-Salomé Ekila is the director of production for the movie Sema and communication officer for the National Movement of Survivors of Sexual Violence in DRC. She is a Congolese documentarian, journalist and panafricanist militant. Most of her documentary work focuses on the history of Africa and people of African descent. She is an activist, fighting impunity and the marginalisation of Africans in the world. She has been working for Dr Denis Mukwege since 2012 and is now the communications officer for Dr Denis Mukwege and Panzi Foundation in DRC and joined the team of Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation in 2018.

Johana Amani was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo until the age of 10. From that time on, she and her family lived in Nairobi, Kenya as refugees. In 2016 Johana's family were granted asylum and moved to the U.S. The eldest of three in a single parent household, Johana is currently majoring in international development at the University of Oregon. 

Moderator Aerlyn Pfeil is a local midwife and sexual violence specialist who has worked with MSF in South Sudan, Haiti, Senegal, the Somali region, of Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, and led MSF's first emergency response to sexual violence in Bangladesh in 2017 during the Rohingya refugee crisis. 

TAKE ACTION FOR WOMEN IN DR CONGO

Read about Panzi Foundation’s many amazing projects including mask making, fistual repair campaigns and a new sexual and gender based violence prevention and response project in South Kivu.

Donate to the Mukwege Foundation’s COVID-19 response campaign. Members of SEMA, the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence, have growing concern about COVID-19’s impact on their communities, survivors, and on those most at risk. Though this pandemic greatly affects everyone, its consequences will be disproportionately felt by vulnerable populations around the globe. Read SEMA’s statement here.