Seeds from Kivu

Name: Seeds from Kivu
Director: Néstor López & Carlos Valle Casas
Released: 2024
Duration: 29

16 V

Semillas de Kivu

In Kivu (DR Congo), women who were gang-raped by the region’s guerrillas who control the mineral resources are undergoing psychological treatment to deal with the dilemma of accepting the babies they have given birth to after being raped.

Awards

Goya Awards (2025) – Winner: Best Documentary Short Film

Skyline Benidorm Film Festival (2025) – Nominated: Jury Prize: Best Short Film

Skyline Benidorm Film Festival (2025) – Winner: Jury Prize: Best Production

16 V

Short

International

SA Premiere

Award Winning

SHORTS BLOCK

In Her Name

Director(s):

Néstor López & Carlos Valle Casas

Country:

Spain

Year:

2024

Duration:

29 min

Language(s):

Spanish

RATING:

16 V

Seeds from Kivu - Poster Poster — Film Poster

In the volatile Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the most violent places on earth, a group of women arrive at Panzi Hospital after surviving gang rape and brutal assault by guerrilla fighters who control the area’s mineral-rich territories. In a haunting portrait of physical, psychological and emotional trauma, the women face the painful reality of carrying children conceived through rape. As they confront the heavy burden of unwanted pregnancies and the complex weight of motherhood, their stories speak to deeper questions of agency, dignity and survival. Set against the backdrop of 25 years of conflict driven by the ruthless exploitation of Congo’s vast resources, Seeds From Kivu lays bare the weaponisation of sexual violence, as women become collateral in a violent war.

Film Stills

Trailer

Previous Festivals

Skyline Benidorm FF (2025)