“Silenced”

The emotionally heavy and often infuriating documentary “Silenced” explores the way legal systems are increasingly weaponized to punish women who speak out against gendered violence. Writer and director Selina Miles doesn’t hold back with her blazing critique of an issue that seems to be getting increasingly worse around the world.

At the center of the film is international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, whose work fighting defamation cases on behalf of survivors connects stories across countries, cultures, and power structures. The documentary traces how defamation lawsuits have become the latest tool used to intimidate, punish, and silence women who talk publicly about abuse.

The most memorable parts of the film come directly from firsthand interviews from women who’ve been wrapped up in high profile lawsuits and public battles (like Amber Heard and Brittany Higgins). Archival footage reinforces how public scrutiny, media distortion, and institutional bias compound the harm. The pattern is unmistakable: when women speak out, systems mobilize to discredit, exhaust, and ultimately silence them.

In an effort to thoroughly cover the issue, Miles overstuffs her film with too many stories. They’re all important (and enraging), but including such a large volume of examples makes the film feel not just unfocused, but emotionally exhausting. There are moments where a tighter lens or deeper exploration of fewer cases might have given the film more breathing room. Still, there’s an understandable urgency behind the decision to include as much as possible. These stories are different yet disturbingly similar, and that repetition becomes part of the point that this isn’t a series of isolated incidents, but a global pattern.

What “Silenced” does exceptionally well is ignite anger. It leaves you frustrated, alert, and aware that simply knowing the problem exists isn’t enough. This is a timely and necessary film that doesn’t offer easy solutions, but makes it clear that speaking out certainly comes with a cost.

By: Louisa Moore