Linor Abargil was one of the many young women who entered the Miss World championship in 1998. It went well for her and she managed to win the title. But despite winning it, she wasn’t able to really enjoy it. She was keeping a secret with which she really struggled and she was afraid to talk about. Seven weeks before the Miss World competition she was taken to a deserted place, threatened with a knife and raped. With all the attention the Miss World title brought though she decided to be strong and not only tell her story and try to get the man responsible convicted, but also act as an example and inspiration for other women. Her goal was to give others the courage to speak out and talk about their own experiences. She opened a website and decided to make this documentary. The end result is a film which shows how often rape occurs and what it does to the victims.
As you watch these women, from all around the world, talk about their horrible ordeals you feel their pain in your heart, but also realise how difficult it must be for them to talk about it. Thanks to the effort by Linor, who reads all the stories and meets some of these women, more women now dare to talk about their rape. It’s difficult for Linor too as she is confronted by her own story and at one moment to stop making the documentary (only to resume later). These women want to talk to her, to share their stories and through that they can finally make the first steps to changing their lives but also talking about their fears. Whether that’s meeting the man responsible again or the way they now deal with men and relationships. Linor get her strength out of it and eventually finds religion as something which makes her strong and feel better. Brave Miss World is a courageous step by Linor which opens doors. It’s not easy to watch, but makes it a subject you might now dare talk about. Not only victims of rape, but also those close to them who struggle how to deal with it and support them.
Brave Miss World is available through Netflix