Stream It Or Skip It: ‘City of Joy’ on Netflix, a Sobering and Empowering Documentary on Sexual Violence

Netflix’s latest documentary transforms a story about pain and abuse into something uplifting and empowering. Madeleine Gavin’s City of Joy explores how a community of Congolese women who have been brutally raped and used as part of a war they never asked to be part of came together to heal and grow. Filled with both survivors’ stories and heartwarming moments of happiness, this film focuses on the founding of the titular safe haven.

CITY OF JOY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Set in the middle of violence-torn Eastern Congo, this documentary focuses on the City of Joy, an established haven for women who have been sexually abused. The center takes in women who have been hurt because of their gender with the hope of turning them into future leaders who will one day help to end this reign of terror. In between telling these survivors’ heart-wrenching stories and showing what daily life is like in this empowering safe space, City of Joy tells how this organization came to be.

But City of Joy is far from a quiet or reflective film. Interviews with incredible Conglese women are often mixed with shocking explanations about how this war came to be and why it’s gone on for far too long. This isn’t a war that’s confined to one region, City of Joy screams. It’s the product of international demands, and the same countries that could stop this conflict are fueling it.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: In terms of subject matter and shock value, City of Joy is somewhat similar to HBO’s I Am Evidence, a sobering documentary that explored just how many unopened rape kits there are in the United States. And yet I Am Evidence doesn’t come close to the heavy blows City of Joy deals, nor does it contain the documentary’s oddly beautiful thread of happiness. City of Joy isn’t a documentary about victims. It’s one about survivors and how these women have built something incredible and good in the wake of so much pain.

Performance Worth Watching: There are several truly amazing women in this documentary, but Christine Schuler-Deschryver, the co-founder and director of City of Joy, it a force to be reckoned with. The ferocity with which she protects these women is infectious whether she’s talking about the men who sexually assaulted them, the celebrities who come into the region just for photo opportunities, or these women’s own self-esteem. Her love of these survivors and insistence that no one’s story is worthless is so starkly apparent, it’s impossible to question her.

Memorable Dialogue: Toward the end of the documentary, one of the young women declares “What did we do wrong? Us women?” to a captive audience.

Not only is it a powerful moment, but it’s a moment of growth. As the documentary shows, some of the women who come to City of Joy don’t even have a word for the concept of rape. Seeing some of these women go from blaming themselves to speaking out against national and international injustice is incredible.

Single Best Shot: City of Joy is a visually engaging film that often uses its cinematography to swing between its difficult stories and glimmers of hope. But one of the sweetest moments is seeing the current class play the Laughter Game.

Each woman lays her head on the stomach of another woman, forming a train. One person can only laugh after they feel the person they’re laying on laughing. It’s a heart-warming reprieve that shows what this documentary does so well — portraying its subjects by more than just their trauma.

Our Take: City of Joy often swings between two wildly different tones: horror and sorrow over what’s happening in the Congo and addictive optimism. But as separate as these two portrayals may seem, they work together in beautiful harmony. Yes, these women have gone through something terrible, but they’re not defined by their abuse. They’re stronger than anyone gives them credit for and determined to reclaim their story to help the world.

It’s that latter part, the reclaiming of these subjects’ stories, that often stands out. Playwright Eve Ensler, who wrote The Vagina Monologues, was heavily involved in the creation of the organization City of Joy, and she appears throughout the documentary. In sweeping lessons she encourages these women to say the word “vagina” and write out their stories. City of Joy doesn’t dance around the edges of its members’ pain. It confronts them head on, believing that if a kind person shines a spotlight on these dark corners the monsters will have less power. 

That’s what City of Joy ultimately is — a call for a redistribution of power. The documentary reveals that 180 women graduate from the organization each year. These leaders paired with the efforts of tireless activists like Dr. Denis Mukwege, who put both his and his family’s lives in danger to protect these women, transform what may seem like an inescapable hell into a problem to be solved. 

It’s unacceptable that one Conglese hospital has treated as many as 400,000 women for sexual abuse and assault. It’s unacceptable that rape is “being used as a weapon of war” as Dr. Mukwege puts it. It’s unacceptable that wealthy and powerful countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada are complicit in militia violence. But this can be solved. City of Joy isn’t here to paint a heart-wrenching portrait. It’s here to inspire action.

Our Call: Stream it. City of Joy is one of the strongest documentaries of the year. However, be warned that this is not in any way a lighthearted watch.

Watch City of Joy on Netflix