Photo: Getty
There’s no stopping Angelina Jolie when it comes to fighting against sexual violence. The humanitarian and award-winning actress recently joined Sophie, Countess of Wessex at the Fighting Stigma Through Film festival at London’s British Film Institute (BFI), to raise awareness on the discrimination often faced by survivors of sexual violence in war. The two-day long festival, which serves as a platform for sharing the stories of survivors and the people working alongside them, is part of a wider Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI) campaign co-founded by the 43-year-old in 2012 with former British foreign secretary William Hague.
Jolie, who was made an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in 2014 for her work with the foreign office in addition to her dedication to end sexual violence in war zones, wore an elegant white dress with a plunging, V-neck silhouette from Ralph & Russo. She paired the frock with a lace trim underlay, metallic pointed-toe pumps, and a long black trenchcoat tied around the waist. A swivel of bold red lipstick and kohl lined around her eyes completed her refined look for the occasion.
“Artists and human rights defenders often take significant risks to tell the truth about crimes committed against defenseless women, children, and men during war,” she said in a statement. “Stigma compounds the suffering of survivors of war zone rape. It is an unbearable injustice on a human level, and it is a major obstacle to achieving justice for victims of these sickening acts of violence.”
The film festival screened 38 documentaries and films that tell the stories of survivors and those working with them between November 23 and 24. Among the films shown were “Libya: Unspeakable Crime”, which looks at cases of sexual assault following the fall of Colonel Gadaffi, and “Silent War (Syrie, le cri étouffé)”, a documentary about the enormous suffering that Syrian women have experienced during the war in their country. The Fighting Stigma Through Film festival is the first of its kind in the world.
In December, the UNHCR Special Envoy will bring her campaigning to British radio when she joins broadcaster David Dimbleby and author Kamila Shamsie on BBC Radio 4’s Today program to explore solutions to war zone sexual violence and the global refugee crisis. During the special holiday episode, which will air on December 28, the Hollywood star intends to invite a series of guests who are experts in their fields to explore solutions for the ongoing issues.
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