Lawmakers voice support for Oscar-nominated film

Lawmakers applauded the work of Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Wednesday night during a screening of the movie that has Washington buzzing — “The Invisible War.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called the documentary about sexual assault in the U.S. military “incredible and helpful to begin to clarify these issues that have to be changed.”

Director Kirby Dick addressed a packed crowd at the E Street Cinema in downtown D.C., saying he made the film — which is competing against four other Oscar nominees in the “Best Documentary Feature” category — to bring awareness to the issue and give a voice to men and women suffering from the effects of the abuse.

“This is our country, this is our military, and it’s the responsibility of all of us and our Congress to address this,” he said.

Michéle Flournoy, the former under secretary of Defense for policy, told the audience “it was a real breakthrough to have [Defense Secretary Leon Panetta] see the film.” According to Flournoy, two days after viewing the doc, an “outraged” Panetta made a set of changes to the handing of military sexual assault investigations, including handing cases to a higher chain of command and creating a Special Victims Unit.

Others spotted at the screening, which was sponsored by the New America Foundation, The Hill and the Impact Arts and Film Fund, included Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), retired Rear Adm. Susan Blumenthal, the film’s executive producer, Maria Cuomo Cole, and moderator Judy Woodruff, of PBS.

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