For someone who has dealt with a great deal of trouble in his life, Dr. Mukwege is an extremely positive person. This has a great deal to do with his Christian faith. We see him talking to a huge group at a church, and in his speech, he says, “God will snatch you from the dust and sit you among princes and kings.” It’s extremely inspiring. All the work that Dr. Mukwege and the women he’s helped have done is shown to have results. We start to see soldiers being arrested for rape, and some of the rebels disarm themselves.
“…absolutely worth seeing, but it is very graphic…”
However, it’s still not a cakewalk over there. Despite being one of the most naturally beautiful places on the planet (there is plenty of evidence of this throughout), the Democratic Republic of Congo is extremely troubled. Not only by the rapes but also due to the stripping of natural resources, which most Congolese don’t see a penny of. Coltan mining is huge in the Congo, of which Dr. Mukwege says, “I compare the Congo to a jewelry shop without doors, windows, or guards.”
The Man Who Mends Women: The Wrath of Hippocrates has a wealth of information in its two-hour run time that many of us, especially in the United States, are not privy to regularly. It also happens to be extremely sad. I definitely cried in parts. While it’s kind of a downer, Dr. Mukwege and the women he has treated have hope, which is impressive considering what they’ve been through. It’s absolutely worth seeing, but it is very graphic and upfront in its descriptions of sexual assault, so please keep that in mind before turning it on. Other than that, I think it’s a very important film to watch.
"…Dr. Mukwege is undoubtedly a hero."
