Filmmakers Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi take us to the small town of Kumba, Cameroon, where there have been no convictions in spousal abuse cases for at least 17 years. The documentary follows State Prosecutor Vera Ngassa and Court President Beatrice Ntuba as they help women who seek refuge from the law to escape abuse at the hand of husbands as well as strangers. Progressive and no-nonsense, Ngassa and Ntuba’s style of adjudication creates a quiet revolution in a place where women often succumb to family and community pressures to suffer in silence.

Whether it’s the mask of determination on the face of Amina, a Muslim woman seeking to divorce her violent husband, or the hollow alibis of an accused child rapist (“I was reading my Bible”), every second of this film is riveting. Pre-pubescent Sonita’s straightforward but heart-breaking account of being raped by a neighbor is haunting and unforgettable. There are no photographs entered into evidence when six-year-old Manka is brought to the attention of the court after running away from an aunt who beat her daily with a coat hanger. The child’s tiny body was uncovered so often for all to see the brutality inflicted upon it, that by the end, I wanted to scream. Looking unflinchingly at the abusers and the damage they cause, one can’t help but say “amen” when the accused are convicted and stiff sentences are handed down. This film is raw, but Ngassa and Ntuba’s brand of wit and wisdom in the face of such horrors keep it from spiraling into hopelessness. These are women on a mission, and they are making lasting change in their corner of the world.

Unintentional and yet notable comic relief is provided by the husbands who are being hauled into court. They do not rant and rave (picture the opposite of a Cops episode), and they are respectful of the lady legal eagles, but their actions reveal a palpable contempt for women, no matter how they try to disguise it. One husband breaks down and cries, embarrassing everyone in the courtroom. He is mourning not the loss of a cherished wife, but rather the loss of the good old days when a woman had to ask her husband’s permission to leave the house. One defense attorney and his client attempt (unsuccessfully) to impugn the plaintiff-wife’s character with unsubstantiated claims of adultery. The attorney’s theatrics suggest that he has watched one too many episodes of Matlock.

Billed as a cross between ‘Judge Judy’ and ‘The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,’ Sisters in Law won the Prix Art et Essai at the Cannes Film Festival and has been well-received at more than 120 festivals worldwide. It is the latest documentary from the internationally renowned Longinotto. Co-director Ayisi, a native of Cameroon, is a lecturer at the University of Wales and programme leader at the International Film School Wales.