Synopsis

Jackie, Mildred, Eureka, Sdudla, and Thuli are the women behind Bobbi Bear, a nonprofit organization based in Durban, South Africa, that counsels sexually abused children and works to bring their abusers to justice. Born out of recognition of cultural stigmas that discourage reporting abuse and inadequate methods of communicating with young victims, Bobbi Bear developed a method of letting children use teddy bears to explain their abuse. Since 1992, the multiracial staff has become the fearless and powerful voice for those victims who would otherwise continue to live in fear, powerless against their oppressors and ignored by the legal system. Director Kim Longinotto adeptly and intimately follows Bobbi Bear staff in difficult direct sessions with children and consultations with family members, and on raids with authorities to arrest the perpetrators of these heinous acts. Facing tragedy daily as part of their advocacy work and, heartbreakingly for some, in their personal lives, the women draw strength from each other and find hope despite the suffering around them. Equally as compassionate to the young victims as they are steadfast in their pursuit of justice, these five exceptional women have found themselves transformed by their mission into “rough aunties,” crossing barriers of race, culture, and socioeconomic status to become formidable agents of change in their community. Once again Longinotto has managed to bring us an intimate portrait of change from Africa, this time from post-apartheid South Africa, a nation being transformed with hope and energy into a new democracy.

Director

• 

  Kim Longinotto
  

  Kim Longinotto studied camera and directing at England's National Film School. After she graduated from the school she worked as the cameraperson on a variety of documentaries for TV. In 1986, she formed the production company Twentieth Century Vixen, and she made a series of ten broadcast and non-broadcast videos. Her films have won international acclaim and dozens of premiere awards at festivals worldwide. Highlights include IDFA, Hot Docs, San Francisco Int'l Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Films de Femmes, Creteil, etc. Especially, her film The Day I Will Never Forget premiered domestically at Sundance in 2003, and Sisters in Law premiered and won two prizes at Cannes.
  
  
  Rough Aunties (2008)
  Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go (2007)
  Sisters in Law (2005)
  The Day I Will Never Forget (2002)
  Gaea Girls (2000)
  Divorce Iranian Style (1998)
  Shinjuku Boys (1995)
  Dream Girls (1994)

Credits

• Director  Kim Longinotto
• Producer  Teddy Leifer, Paul Taylor
• Cinematographer  Kim Longinotto
• Editor  Ollie Huddleston
• Sound  Mary Milton

Production Company & Distributor

• Production Company & Distributor  RISE films
• Address  46 Berwick St., London W1F 8SG, UK
• Tel  44 203 214 6072
• Fax  44 203 214 6070
• Email  info@risefilms.com