The “city of joy” referred to in the title of Madeleine Gavin’s documentary is not a city at all, but a complex that serves as a shelter, rehabilitation center, and education organization for female survivors of the brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which rape was regularly used as a weapon of war. The stories these women tell—the hardships they’ve had to endure—are beyond harrowing. And consider this: They might be the lucky ones, because they’re the ones who actually survived. At the city, these brave, wounded women learn to love their bodies again; in one charming and moving scene, they’re encouraged to hold up mirrors to their private parts, and to describe what they see. They also learn self-defense, ways to assert themselves, and leadership strategies. They trade stories, and build friendships, and try to have fun and laugh again.