The Invisible War Photos

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Cast

Amy Ziering

Kirby Dick
as Interviewer

Kori Cioca

Jessica Hinves

Ariana Klay

Trina McDonald

Elle Helmer

Hannah Sewell

Myla Haider

Paula Coughlin

Michael Matthews

Claudia Kennedy

Wilma Vaught

Loree Sutton

Dennis Laich

Susan Burke (VIII)

Anu Bhagwati

Greg Rinckey

Stace Nelson

Russell Strand

Susan Avila-Smith

Amy Herdy

Helen Benedict

Chellie Pingree

Louise Slaughter

Mike Turner

Loretta Sanchez

Jackie Speier

Ted Poe

Susan Davis

Niki Tsongas

Mary Kay Hertog

Anthony Kurta

Kaye Whitley

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News & Interviews for The Invisible War

Critic Reviews for The Invisible War

Audience Reviews for The Invisible War

• Apr 17, 2016

  Well, there's the good part of the American experiment, and then there's the rest. This is a piece about some of that other, wherein representatives of the land of the free and home of the brave justify rape by your colleagues as simply an "occupational hazard". A national disgrace, not only for the crime against our sons and daughters but more so for the sanctioned cover-up after the fact, protecting the abusers. Got a Leave it to Beaver view of America, of its military (the highest example of The Dream), then this is not for you.
  Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
• Oct 06, 2014

  Trigger Warning: descriptions of women going through reporting after sexual assault. Though I knew a bit about the inner workings of the US military, their treatment of women was a complete mystery. It turns out, female soldiers are treated as commodities even when they are risking their lives for this country. Not only that, but women in the military are forced into silence and their assailants go unconvicted. Various women come forward to tell their horrifying stories in this film, and the way they were mishandled by the military is terrifying. The system in place is hurting, and giving PTSD, to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of women, and it needs to end permanently. This is a seriously emotional look into an institution that devalues women and, worst of all, creates an environment where women feel unsafe. These women joined the military to serve their country, but by the end of the film they hate the institution that they triumphed. That, above all else, is the most disheartening thing to see.
  Spencer S Super Reviewer
• Nov 30, 2013

  While perhaps prone to speculation, "The Invisible War" is still a chilling and heartbreaking documentary about the epidemic of sexual assault, committed against both men and women, in the military. This information, gathered from government sources, is alternated with the ads the military uses to attract young female recruits, like the Air Force one I watched yesterday at the multiplex. Ironically, the armed forces seem less interested in prosecution and therefore deterrence than in haphazard prevention protocols, thus making it easier for sexual predators to thrive, not unlike sexual abusers in the Catholic Church. Part of that has to do with the lackadaisical way that rape is prosecuted through the chain of command which Senator Gillibrand is fighting to change by moving it to judge advocates instead. What "The Invisible War" does extremely well is putting a human face on these cases, a good deal of them legacy recruits, as these brave women and one man talk not only about the heinous crime itself but the aftermath, as they have twice the occurrence of PTSD than combat veterans and contemplate suicide. That's not to mention having to jump through the hurdles of the bureaucratic Veterans Administration.
  Walter M Super Reviewer
• Oct 22, 2013

  Disturbing and maddening, Kirby Dick's "The Invisible War" is an unfortunate document on the rampant rape and sexual violations that occur within the U.S. military, and how a corrupt system allows such acts to go unpunished on a continuous basis. Dick keenly steps aside and allows the victims of these atrocities and their gut-wrenching testimonies to be the heart of the film... rendered in the simplest, most straightforward of fashions. Much to nearly all of the visual inventiveness and on-screen director input present in "This Film is Not Yet Rated" (a great film also by Dick) has been stripped away and the film is more unshakable because of it. This is indeed heavy, uncomfortable content, but a powerful account that should be considered mandatory viewing for every single man and woman considering a career in the U.S. armed forces. It's sure to change a mind or two.
  Michael S Super Reviewer

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