PRESS KIT a Documentary Film by Madeleine Gavin

Photo Credit: Paula J. Allen

PRESS KIT A Documentary Film by Madeleine Gavin

Featuring: Christine Schuler-Deschryver, Dr Denis Mukwege, Eve Ensler, Jane Mukunilwa Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Regina Scully, Geralyn Dreyfous, Amy Rao, Wendy Schmidt Produced by: Allyson Luchak

Running Time: 75 minutes Language: English, French, Swahili Country: Democratic Republic of Congo, USA Year: 2016

Contact Information Distribution &Publicity: Kimberly Dilts Film Ignite [email protected]

WWW.CITYOFJOYFILM.COM Photo Credit: Paula J. Allen Synopsis

Devastated by 20 years of violence, the eastern part of The Democratic Republic of Congo is often referred to as "the worst place in the world to be a woman." This film brings a different story from the region.

CITY OF JOY follows the first class of women at a revolutionary leadership center in Congo, weaving their journey with that of City of Joy’s founders (2016 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Denis Mukwege, women's rights activist Christine Schuler- Deschryver, and radical feminist Eve Ensler, author of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES) - three individuals who imagine a place where women who have suffered horrific rape and abuse can heal and become powerful voices of change for their country.

A story about the profound resilience of the human spirit, CITY OF JOY witnesses Congolese women's fierce will to reclaim hope, even when so much of what was meaningful to them has been stripped away. Director’s Statement Photo Credit: Paula J. Allen

The Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has endured 20 years of devastating violence. It is estimated that up to 8 million people have been murdered and hundreds of thousands of women have been raped and tortured. Rape has been used as a weapon of war in the conscious destruction of community to get at the precious resources in the area. Congo is often referred to as the worst place in the world to be a woman for all these reasons and more. CITY OF JOY tells another story of that region. What drew me to this project was hearing stories from Congolese women a couple of years before we ever started shooting this film. At the time, my mind was blown open by the horror of what I was hearing. These were women who had suffered horrific rape and gender abuse, had experienced devastation to their communities, their families, their homes, their bodies. They had in many cases lost everything that was meaningful to them. It was crushing to imagine both what they had been through and how they could go on.

But equally arresting was the palpable resilience of these women. My daughter was young at the time, and I was sure that if I had seen her endure what these women had or if my daughter had witnessed such things, I would collapse and my life would be over, period. The fact that these women could find ways to create meaning in their lives after such experiences was awe inspiring. This is what initially drew me to this story. (CONT’D) Director’s Statement (Cont’d)

One of the things I felt strongly about in the making of CITY OF JOY is that I wanted this film to have its own language, both tonally and structurally. I understood that I could make a film that was explicit about some of DRC’s history and that told the story of what was going on with women in Congo. But I wasn’t really interested in making a film that was too straight ahead because I had seen films where I felt like I got a lot of information but didn’t really experience anything. I wanted to make a film that allowed audiences to feel what I felt when I first went to Congo — the tremendous strength, vitality and commitment that these individuals had to each other and to imagining a future for themselves and their country.

It was important to me that the audience not go numb in the watching of this film, or to be so torn up that they shut down and stopped listening. So the balancing between the devastation of what these women had suffered and the incredible force of hope and joy that they embodied was something I grappled with a lot. The shifting tones between pathos, humor, irreverence and joy were something I strived for, trying to keep the film visceral and surprising in its emotion and arc.

To this end, I used all sorts of methods and found myself inventing things along the way. I tried to create the feeling of nostalgia, shooting visual elements that represented a world past and the subsequent loss of that world. I worked a lot with sound and music and the interaction of these elements. I saw the war as a sort of character of its own that we revisit throughout the film, learning bits and pieces each time. I tried to give enough history but not too much, and I questioned myself constantly in this regard. This was a real challenge and I hope an audience finds it satisfying but this lacing of elements and tonal shifts was very important to me.

—Madeleine Gavin, Director MADELEINE GAVIN DIRECTOR Madeleine Gavin works in both narrative and documentary film, primarily as an editor. She is currently working with director, Reed Morano on I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW starring Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning. Madeleine was nominated for an Emmy for her work on Rebecca Cammisa's Academy Award-nominated documentary, WHICH WAY HOME, and recently completed Cammisa’s new HBO documentary, ATOMIC HOMEFRONT. Madeleine has edited several Sundance and Independent Spirit Award-winning films. Recent narrative and documentary credits include Katherine Dieckmann’s STRANGE WEATHER, starring Holly Hunter; Damian Harris’s WILDE WEDDING starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich; Participant Media's A PLACE AT THE TABLE, directed by Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush; Abby Epstein's THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN; Scott McGehee and David Siegel's WHAT MAISIE KNEW, starring Julianne Moore; Miranda July’s THE FUTURE; Jacob Aaron Estes’ MEAN CREEK, among others. Madeleine has taught in the writing program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and in the Graduate Film Program at Columbia University. CITY OF JOY is her first film as director. ALLYSON LUCHAK PRODUCER Allyson Luchak is an Emmy award-winning film producer of feature documentaries. Her credits include programming for PBS, CNN Films, HBO, including several films for Academy Award winning director Jean-Xavier deLestrade. She produced THE STAIRCASE, which The New York Times described as “a masterpiece”, premiered at IDFA and has been broadcast in over 65 countries. Her film PET CRIMES, which was made for HBO, was winner of the 2013 Television Academy Honors Award for “Television with a Conscious.” Recently Allyson was a story producer on HUMAN, directed by Yann-Arthus Bertand, and on Academy Award winner Alex Gibney’s ZERO DAYS, which premiered at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival. Her film, ENLIGHTEN US, premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and is currently airing worldwide on Netflix following its international broadcast. Allyson is currently producing THIS IS NOT A MOVIE, directed by Sundance Alumni Yung Chang, for the National Film Board of Canada along with other international co-producers and developing a documentary series with Gaumont Television, producers of the Netflix series NARCOS. The Subjects

CHRISTINE SCHULER DESCHRYVER (V-DAY CONGO AND CITY OF JOY DIRECTOR) Christine has called Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo her home all her life. She oversees all aspects of V-Day’s work on the ground in the DRC, including the City of Joy and coordinating campaign activities on the local, provincial, and national levels. She is an internationally renowned human rights activist who has worked as a teacher, an administrator for CARE CANADA, and, for 13 years, as an administrator for the German Technical Cooperation, where she oversaw a staff of over 100. She travels widely advocating for Congolese women’s rights.

DENIS MUKWEGE, MD, PHD Dr. Denis Mukwege is the founder and medical director of Panzi Hospital and Foundations. In 1999, Panzi opened amid instability, violence, and an unprecedented epidemic of rape as a weapon of war. A testament to resilience and strength, the Panzi model he developed grew into a globally renowned, groundbreaking holistic healing center. Dr. Mukwege’s vision and methods provide medical care in concert with psychosocial services, literacy and vocational training, legal assistance, family and community reintegration services. With other surgeons, physicians, clinicians, and nearly 500 staff at Panzi Hospital and Foundations – more than 48,482 survivors of sexual violence have been patients in the innovative holistic healing programs. He has received numerous awards for his human rights work, including the European Parliament’s 2014 Sakharov Prize. Dr. Mukwege sits on the advisory committee for the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict, and is an Icon on the 2016 TIME100 list by TIME Magazine. Dr. Mukwege was also a 2016 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Photo Credit: Paula J. Allen JANE MUKUNILWA Jane was born in the village of Lulingu, in Shabunda. It is a place where assault and battery, kidnapping, murder and rape are seen at their heights. In July 2005, she was viciously attacked and tortured, enduring 9 surgeries to try and repair the damage that was done to her body due to the atrocities she survived. During her long hospital stay Jane became determined to turn her life around and committed herself to helping other women who had undergone similar injustices. During a chance encounter in May 2007, when Eve Ensler was visiting Panzi Hospital, Jane revealed her deepest desire to Eve – to build a place for women survivors to live together so that they can heal, transform and lead. When the City of Joy opened its doors, Jane was one of the first class of women. Throughout her training at City of Joy, Jane proved that change is possible even after a long period of uncertainty, isolation, hopelessness and anger. Jane arrived at the City of Joy illiterate but left, after 6 months, able to read, write, and count money. She also became an expert at launching self-help projects. After graduating from City of Joy, she joined the staff and was able to buy a plot of land and build a small house. She calls herself a new creature now. While she called herself Jean before City of Joy, she now calls herself Jane. EVE ENSLER (ACTIVIST, PLAYWRIGHT) Eve Ensler is the Tony Award winning playwright, activist, performer and author of the theatrical phenomenon and Obie winning, The Vagina Monologues, which has been published in 48 languages and performed in over 140 countries. Eve’s plays include Necessary Targets, OPC, The Good Body, and Emotional Creature. Her books include Insecure At Last: A Political Memoir; the New York Times best seller I Am An Emotional Creature, and her latest critically acclaimed memoir In the Body of the World which she recently adapted, debuted and performed at American Repertory Theatre to rave reviews directed by Diane Paulus. Her play, Fruit Trilogy was performed at the Women of the World Festival in London and The West Yorkshire Playhouse in March of 2016. Eve is founder of V-Day, almost 20 year old global activist movement to end violence against women and girls which has raised over 100 million dollars to end violence and One Billion Rising, a global mass action campaign in over 200 countries. She is a co-founder of the City of Joy, a revolutionary center for women survivor s of violence in the DRC, along with Christine Schuler Deschyrver and Dr. Denis Mukwege. She writes for The Guardian, TIME Magazine, and The New York Times. She was named one of Newsweek’s “150 Women Who Changed the World” and The Guardian’s “100 Most Influential Women.” Photo Credit: Paula J. Allen About The City of Joy

The City of Joy is a transformational leadership community for women survivors of violence, located in Bukavu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Conceived, owned, and run by local Congolese, the City of Joy has flourished since it first opened its doors in June 2011, healing women from their past trauma through therapy and life skills programming while providing them with the essential ingredients needed to move forward in life – love and community.

Serving 90 survivors of gender violence aged 18 to 30 at a time, City of Joy is now in its 6th year of operation and has graduated 759 women leaders in nine classes.

The City of Joy is a project of the Fondation Panzi (DRC) and V-Day.

For more information about City of Joy, please visit their website at www.cityofjoycongo.org To learn more about the Fondation Panzi, visit http://www.panzifoundation.org/what-we-do/ For information about V-Day, visit http://www.vday.org/ Credits

Directed by MADELEINE GAVIN

Produced by ALLYSON LUCHAK

Executive Producers DAN COGAN GERALYN WHITE DREYFOUS REGINA K. SCULLY

Executive Producers AMY RAO WENDY SCHMIDT

Co-Producer JENNY RASKIN

Consulting Producer PAT MITCHELL

Cinematographer TAYLOR KRAUSS

Additional Cinematographer LISA RINZLER

Edited by MADELEINE GAVIN

Score by TOMANDANDY and LOKUA KANZA made with the generous support of IMPACT PARTNERS

and its following members: COMPTON FOUNDATION BARBARA DOBKIN PIERRE HAUSER BETH SACKLER REGINA K. SCULLY WADSWORTH & WADSWORTH THE JACQUELYN & GREGORY ZEHNER FOUNDATION made with the generous support of KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL MELLODY HOBSON JUSTINE MUSK ELON MUSK Produced in Association with

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Production Sound Recording TONY BENSUSAN

Creative Consultant JOSEPH RUBEN

Story Consultant ALEX VARGAS

Additional Producer CORNELIA PRINCIPE

Assistant Editor ROBERT GRIGSBY WILSON

Additional Footage LISA F. JACKSON

Additional Camera REVOCATUS NAMEGABE SAM CULLMAN MADELEINE GAVIN TONY STROEBEL CHRIS BABIANA Field Coordinators TAYLOR KRAUSS JOHN ZIHALIRWA CEBWERU REVOCATUS NAMEGABE

Development Consultants MARY RECINE SAM CULLMAN MARK MITCHELL

Additional Sound REVOCATUS NAMEGABE DENNIS KERSTEN

Additional Music JASON MOSS

Title Design MONIKER NEW YORK

Location Translation JOHN ZIHALIRWA CEBWERU PATRICK LWABOSHI ROGER BUHENDWA

Translators

JOSEPH MBANGU MADELEINE SHUKURANI

KULYA NZOGU JOE LEMARON SADALLAH

VERONICA ROVEGNO COLLEEN CARROLL

MPASUA MSONOBARI GENEVIEVE A. PEPRAH

GABRIELLA KESSLER BEN OMIRA

JEAN ELOMBA LUBULA IGOMOKELO

LUBANGI MUNIANIA LOUIS ABELMAN

IN WHAT LANGUAGE TIM LEBERECHT

Translation Coordinator LAUREN COOPER

Transcriptions LAUREL TOEWS NICOLE CHMURA

Post Production Video Services Production By FINAL FRAME Digital Intermediate Colorist WILL COX Digital Intermediate Online Editor KEVIN ALLEN CABY DREW KILGORE Additional VFX BEN KIVIAT Digital Intermediate Producer CAITLIN TARTARO

Supervising Sound Editor/ Re-Recording Mixer TONY VOLANTE Sound Editor RYAN PRICE Assistant Sound Editor DAN TIMMONS Audio Post Production TVO POST Audio Post Production Facility SOUND LOUNGE Audio Post Production Facility Coordinator ROB BROWNING Production Counsel ROBERT SEIGEL

Additional Legal Services Provided by DONALDSON & CALLIF, LLP

Production Accountants MARK MOSKOWITZ KIM FINDLAY KATHRYN VIZI

Worldwide Sales THE FILM SALES COMPANY ANDREW HERWITZ, PRESIDENT

Production Insurance by FRONT ROW INSURANCE BROKERS LLC

End Titles created with ENDCRAWL.COM

Archival Footage Provided By AP ARCHIVE CHRISPIN KYALANGALILWA & GUILLAUME MUSHI NTABALA FOOTAGE FROM "THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO" COURTESY LISA F. JACKSON/JACKSON FILMS INC. ITN INA FRANCE 24 JOURNEYMAN PICTURES CARLOS SCHULER SWR PATRICK FORESTIER AND TAC PRESSE THE UNITED NATIONS

Additional Material By FOOTAGE OF DR. MUKWEGE’S RETURN TO THE DRC IN JANUARY 2013

Archival Photographs Courtesy of PAULA ALLEN CARLOS SCHULER CHRISTINE SCHULER-DESCHRYVER

Special Thanks

MAMA BACHU FRANCINE BINTU SHANGALUME

KIMBERLÉ CRENSHAW PATRICK LWABOSHI

GEORGE MILLER THANDIE NEWTON

EMMA WATSON 3 TAMIS

PAULA ALLEN WINNIE ANYANGO

MARILYN BARTON GEOF BARTZ

THERESE BORA BINTI PASCAL BISIMWA

DUNCAN BOMBA AGNÉS BUJIRIRI

ANNIE CALLAWAY REBECCA CAMMISA

COLLEEN CARROLL ROCCO CARUSO

RACHEL COHEN KATIE COOPER

SAM DAN DELTA SECURITY

JANA EDELBAUM CLIVE FLOWERS

WILL, CAITLIN & KEVIN AT FINAL FRAME PETER AND LESLIE GAVIN

JULIE GOLDMAN LISA HELLER

DINA AND RICK KLUGMAN LESLEE KNICKERBOCKER

RICHARD KROEHLING STEVEN LAMORTE

JULIE MAPENDO LWANGO MELINDA MARX

PASCASIE MAWAZO JOSEPH MBANGU

ANTHONY MONTENIERI BERTIN MUNGOMBE

THOMAS MURANDIKIRHE FRANCK MWEZE

ANGÉLIQUE NTUBUBA JOHN PAUL OTANWA

JULIA PACETTI PURVA PANDAY CULLMAN

EUGENIE SALEH YOHALI MICHELLE SATTER

HUBERT SAUPER ANDREA SCOTT

SCOTT SEYDEL JOSEPH STERN

CECILIE SURASKY JEAN TSIEN

ALEX TODOROV SHEILA WILLIAMS

MONIQUE WILSON MIRA YONG

EVERYONE AT CITY OF JOY EVERYONE AT COCO LODGE EVERYONE AT PANZI HOSPITAL MUSIC

MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS AND MASTERS RECORDINGS “MINALYA” FROM THE ALBULM “NKOLO” Performed by Lokua Kanza Written and Performed by Lokua Kanza Composed, Written and Arranged by Lokua Kanza Published by Nzela Productions Published by Nzela Productions Courtesy of Lokua Kanza and Nzela Productions Courtesy of Lokua Kanza and Nzela Productions

“YE TE OH” “LAPWONY” Performed by Papa Wemba Performed by Geoffrey Oryema Written by Papa Wemba Written by Geoffrey Oryema Published by Papa Wemba Published by Womad Music Ltd. Courtesy of Papa Wemba Courtesy of Real World Records Ltd.

“YE YE YE” “SALA KEBA” Performed by Geoffrey Oryema Performed by Papa Wemba Written by Geoffrey Oryema Written by Papa Wemba Published by Womad Music Ltd. Published by Filament Courtesy of Real World Records Ltd. Courtesy Real World Records Ltd and Filament

“NO BALLADS BALLAD” “I STRUCK THE WALL” Performed by Geoffrey Oryema Performed by Geoffrey Oryema Written by Geoffrey Oryema Written by Geoffrey Oryema Published by Womad Music Ltd. Published by Womad Music Ltd. Courtesy of Sonodisc Courtesy of Sonodisc

“MUTOTO” “RAIL ON” Performed by Lokua Kanza Performed by Papa Wemba Written by Lokua Kanza Written by Papa Wemba Published by Peermusic III, Ltd Published by Filament Courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises Courtesy Real World Records Ltd and Filament

“KENDE MALEMBE” Performed by Lokua Kanza Composed, Written and Arranged by Lokua Kanza Published by Nzela Productions Courtesy of Lokua Kanza and Nzela Productions From Lokua Kanza's upcoming album

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