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Pushing the Elephant

Promo (:28)
Clip 1 (2:42)
Clip 2 (3:02)
Clip 3 (:50)

  • About the Film

    Rose Mapendo speaks to a group of Congolese women.

    Rose Mapendo was forced to leave her daughter behind when she fled the genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now she works to unite her family as she fights for the future of her country.

    Learn more >>

    Check TV listings >>

  • Timeline

    Congolese soldiers and Belgian officers of the Force Publique ford a stream in 1918.

    Explore the troubled history of the Democratic Republic of Congo from its days as a “free state” under Belgian rule to its tragic devolution into sectarian civil war with genocidal civilian casualties.

    Trace Congo’s past >>

  • From the Blog

    Immeasurable Pain, Unlimited Hope: The Making of Pushing the Elephant

    The filmmakers discuss the challenges of telling Rose Mapendo’s intimate and, at times, terrifying story and what motivated and sustained them through the process.

    Read more >>

  • Talkback

    Rose Mapendo bows her head beside a cross marking the site of a refugee massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Have you ever found it difficult or impossible to forgive someone? When people commit unthinkable crimes against one another, forgiveness can be much harder to achieve than revenge.

    Share your experience with forgiveness >>