Recalling my encounter with Invisible Children’s KONY 2012 campaign, I reflected on this healthy reminder to be a critically thinking consumer. For those who are not familiar with the experiment, KONY 2012 was a thirty-minute online video released in an attempt to make “an obscure war criminal famous”—that criminal being none other than Joseph Kony, leader of the Ugandan thugs known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Some 3.7 million viewers pledged their support (as did I) in a helpless (and dare I say, lazy) effort to arrest Joseph Kony and to bring a permanent end to LRA atrocities once and for all. As bystanders, we felt as if we were making a difference by liking, sharing, or hashtagging #KONY2012, but how effective can participatory social media acts be?

Fast forward to Monday, January 7, 2013. Acclaimed Vancouver-based filmmaker Jodie Martinson re-ignites our lapsed interest in the mystery that is Joseph Kony. While Invisible Children took a transnational approach to exposing the realities occurring in Uganda under Kony’s control, Martinson teamed up with a talented animator named Kunal Sen, as well as The National Film Board of Canada, to create an animated short titled Stronghearted. The film tells the story of a twelve year old girl named Evelyn Amony, who was kidnapped and made one of Joseph Kony’s wives.

As the press release describes, Stronghearted blends a “haunting first-person interview with woodcut-style animation” to create a shocking, yet intimate picture of the LRA’s history of rape and kidnapping.

Looking back on her experiences while being interviewed, Amony is emotional when discussing her torturous 11-year experience with Kony. Providing a novel perspective on the controversial topic, Martinson and Sen work together to enlighten viewers on this chapter of African history; in this instance, however, with the accuracy and truthful intentions that the KONY 2012 team was criticized for lacking.

Released simultaneously with Jodie Martinson’s full-length documentary of Amony’s experience, titled To Have and To Hold, the depth these films reach is impressive. After spending four extensive years retracing every single step in Amony’s experience with both the LRA and Kony himself, it is safe to say that along with her noteworthy past experiences in film and journalism, Martinson creates a commentary that is rich in substance, and ultimately, one which we can trust.

Exposing Evelyn Amony’s individual story is Martinson’s way of approaching the Ugandan conflict. Amony recalls a pivotal memory of crossing the Acwa River in 1994 and coming face to face with Kony, a moment powerfully portrayed by Sen’s rich animation. We not only sense that Evelyn receives closure in the telling of her story, but also gain insight into her experiences ourselves.

Martinson focuses on this very moment of Amony’s story, making us step back, and ask the ultimate question: can this ruthless man be both her abuser, as well as her savior? The inconceivable question begs an inconceivable answer—Amony remains alive, in spite of her maltreatment. We are left craving to learn more than the five-minute documentary presents.

Stronghearted’s approach is both thoughtful and thought-provoking, weaving together a commentary of “testimony and memory.” Jodie Martinson creates an unforgettable depiction of one woman’s struggle for survival, direction, and understanding in dire circumstances. Through a groundbreaking medium, we are able to gain reliable knowledge from a first-hand account with the harsh realities of central Africa and Kony himself.

Stronghearted is free to view at www.nfb.ca/film/stronghearted