The Invisible War
The film that spurred action against sexual assault in the military
2012 | Running Time: 90 minutes | Rating: NR
THE INVISIBLE WAR is a film about sexual assault in the United States Military. It features interviews with veterans from multiple branches of the United States Armed Forces who recount the events surrounding their assaults. Their stories show many common themes, such as the lack of recourse to an impartial justice system, reprisals against survivors instead of against perpetrators, the absence of adequate emotional and physical care for survivors, the unhindered advancement of perpetrators’ careers and the forced expulsion of survivors from service. The survivors and advocates featured in the film call for changes to the way the military handles sexual assault, such as shifting prosecution away from unit commanders, who often are either friends with assailants or are assailants themselves. THE INVISIBLE WAR premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Director: Kirby Dick; Producers: Amy Ziering, Tanner King Barklow; Executive Producers: Nicole Boxer, Maria Cuomo Cole, Abigail Disney, Geralyn Dreyfous, Sally Jo Fifer, Sarah E. Johnson, Teddy Leifer, Regina K. Scully, Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Kirby Dick, Director
Kirby Dick is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning documentary film director, renowned for documentaries exposing institutional sexual assault like THE INVISIBLE WAR (2012) and THE HUNTING GROUND (2015). His films include THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (2004), which compelled the MPAA to change to the film-ratings system, and DERRIDA (2002), a portrait of the French philosopher.
Amy Ziering, Producer
Amy Ziering is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. She’s worked together with director Kirby Dick on several acclaimed documentaries including THE INVISIBLE WAR (2012), THE HUNTING GROUND (2015) and OUTRAGE (2009). The first film she produced was TAYLOR’S CAMPAIGN (1998), about a homeless man running for a city council seat in Santa Monica.
Academy Awards 2013: Oscar for Best Documentary, Features (nomination)
2013 George Foster Peabody Award
Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2012: Adrienne Shelly Award
Sundance Film Festival 2012: Audience Award for Documentary
Writers Guild of America 2013: WGA Award (Screen) for Best Documentary Screenplay (nomination)
Seattle International Film Festival 2012: Golden Space Needle Award for Best Documentary
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2012: SDFCS Award for Best Documentary
News & Documentary Emmy Awards 2014: Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Journalism – Long Form, Emmy for Best Documentary
National Board of Review 2012: NBR Award for Top Five Documentaries
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2013: Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary
Dallas International Film Festival 2012: Special Jury Prize Silver Heart Award
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2012: CFCA Award for Best Documentary
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards 2012: WAFCA Award for Best Documentary (nomination)
Utah Film Critics Association Awards 2012: UFCA Award for Best Documentary Feature Film (nomination)
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2013: OFCS Award for Best Documentary (nomination)
Online Film & Television Association 2013: OFTA Film Award for Best Documentary Picture (nomination)
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA) 2013: INOCA for Best Documentary (nomination)
International Documentary Association 2012: IDA Award for Best Feature (nomination)
Gotham Awards 2012: Audience Award (nomination)
Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) 2013: Dorian Award for Documentary of the Year (nomination)
Directors Guild of America 2013: DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary (nomination)
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2012: DFWFCA Award for Best Documentary (nomination)
Awards Circuit Community Awards 2012: ACCA for Best Documentary Feature Film (nomination)
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2013: EDA Award for Best Documentary Feature Film (nomination)
“This is not a movie that can be ignored.”
The New York Times