Visible to all Eyes (Unter aller Augen), 90 Min. ©2017 Ein Film von Claudia Schmid

 

Synopsis

"Now my family has thrown me into a fiery lake, and I am burning in the flames..." — Minara, Bangladesh

"My mother said: 'You know that it is not permitted here to press charges against family members with the police...'" — Yolande, Benin

"Yes, my children laughed at me, avoided me, and said: 'She is no longer human'—and I shunned them and wept." — Nakatya, DR Congo, "That is what I find so tragic: the violence simply continues—it just goes on, generation after generation..." — Maya, Germany

 

Asia, Africa, Europe—in Benin, in Bangladesh, in the DR Congo, but also right in the heart of Germany: violence against women is omnipresent. *Visible to all Eyes* (Unter aller Augen") delves into the lives of women who have been subjected to the most horrific violence—and who have fought their way to freedom. They speak of the violence inflicted upon them, their struggle for survival, their fears and hopes, and their current efforts to build a new life beyond the violence. They have taken the initiative, standing up for themselves despite facing grave danger.

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And the men? Many describe violence against women as a normal, everyday occurrence. If a woman is beaten, she deserves it. An independent, self-determined woman instills fear; she is simply not allowed to exist. If she fights back, he threatens to take away her children and throw her out of the house—leaving her destitute...

The most frequent and brutal human rights violations of our time are still, worldwide, directed against girls and women. For women between the ages of 15 and 45, the likelihood of being beaten into disability or beaten to death by their husbands is far greater than the risk of dying from cancer, malaria, a traffic accident, or in war. UNIFEM and the WHO estimate that, in some countries around the world, up to 70 percent of all women fall victim to physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime—most often at the hands of their husbands or partners.

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The film clearly illustrates how violence operates. Against the backdrop of diverse cultures, lifestyles, and social systems, the mechanisms and structures of violence and power directed against women are scrutinized—revealing their universal parallels—and their underlying causes are brought to light. The startling message is that these structures of violence in Germany are often no less ruthless than those found in countries across Africa and Asia.

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Filmmaker Claudia Schmid spends intense moments with the women—who confide a great deal in her—and, with her camera, follows the gazes, movements, and actions of her remarkable protagonists as they break free from confinement; she captures images reflecting painful memories, longings, and dreams—staying close to the emotions of the people involved, whether they be the female protagonists or, at times, the perpetrators themselves. The women’s lived realities are often portrayed through poetic imagery.

It is solely through the strength of these protagonists that the intergenerational cycle of violence is shattered. Minara, Nakatya, Vumilia, Maya, and all the others... they have achieved nothing less than changing the world—on a small scale—through hard-won self-confidence.