Silence of Reason. 2023. North Macedonia/Bosnia. Directed by Kumjana Novakova. North American premiere. Envision Best Directing Award, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2023. In Bosnian; English subtitles. 63 min.
Kumjana Novakova’s award-winning second feature shakes open the archive of what has come to be known as the Foča Rape Camp Trial, which led to the codification of mass rape and sexual enslavement as a weapon of war as crimes against humanity under international law. Drawing on survivor testimonies that reveal the depths of war crimes committed against women and girls during the Bosnian War, Novakova’s unflinching film preserves the subjects’ anonymity while bearing witness to their collective memory—and their astounding bravery before the court. Juxtaposing text and landscape—some images even bear traces of video degradation, as if the crime scenes they depict are demanding to be seen despite all attempts to hide them—the film declares the importance of listening no matter how challenging it might be. As Novakova puts it, “Silence of Reason is a tiny cinematic memorial to both [the womens’] courage and their selfless contribution to a more just society.”