Appropriately-titled documentary “An Army of Women” tells the story of a group of women in Austin, Texas who join forces to bring awareness to the city’s widespread failure to prosecute cases of rape. They use the legal system to hold law enforcement accountable, paving a path that will help future victims of sexual assault.
It’s an admirable goal, and the subjects of director Julie Lunde Lillesæter’s film are incredibly brave. After watching their rapists walk free with little push back from the justice system, each woman (Hanna, Amy, and Marina) has their own story (and all are equally infuriating). How they have retained their composure after enduring the painfully slow and ineffective legal process and myriad failures within the justice system is something truly incredible. Even more so is their determination to keep at it, no matter how emotionally painful it may be.
While the film tackles similar subject matter of similar documentaries, I never tire of films that portray women as strong and determined rather than victimized and weak. When a dozen other women sign on to a first-of-its-kind federal class action lawsuit that argues the reason sexual assault isn’t prosecuted because it’s a crime that predominantly affects women, the reality is sobering. In fact, one of the more shocking statistics shared in the film is that one in five women in America will experience sexual assault in their lifetime, while close to 99% of rapists walk free. With so many women traumatized (and penalized) by a system that claims to help them, it’s clear that the current procedures are deeply broken.
Lillesæter celebrates the fighting spirit of her subjects, lending a bit of optimism to the power in numbers, speaking out, and pushing back. “An Army of Women” tells the inspiring, rousing story of just one small step in a movement where women are doing their part to change the world.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 