50 Years Of Silence Explained

50 Years Of Silence
Director:Ned Lander with Carol Ruff and James Bradley
Producer:Carol Ruff
Ned Lander
Cinematography:John Whitteron
Joel Peterson
Editing:James Bradley
Runtime:57 minutes
Country:Australia
Language:English

50 Years Of Silence is a 1994 documentary film that tells the story of Japanese war rape victim Jan Ruff-O'Herne.

Reception

In the Sunday Telegraph Sean Day-Lewis says Ruff-O'Herne "courageously and poignantly tells of her months providing as little comfort as she could after being forced to serve in a Japanese army brothel.." Martin Massingberd wrote in the Daily Telegraph that is "was an inspiring film about a remarkable woman, whose undimmed warmth and sympath shone through her appalling ordeal as a triumph of the human spirit." Michael Hutak of the Sydney Morning Herald writes "This film stands as a lasting testimony of those atrocities and a plea for victims to break the cycle of guilt and speak out." Robin Oliver, also of the Sydney Morning Herald, states "The shattering contents of this documentary overwhelm the viewer and it is difficult to look beyond the story of Jan Ruff-O'Herne and consider the film itself, which is often disjointed and poorly edited."

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Book: French. Lisa. Poole. Mark. Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. 2009. 257. 978-1-876467-20-3.