‘The Silent Army’ brings to the screen the reality of a real-life social problem: the plight of child soldiers. The film takes place in an imaginary African country and tells the story of eleven year-old Abu - kidnapped by rebels and forced to become a child soldier - and widowed father Eduard Zuiderwijk, a Western restaurant owner who sets off to find and rescue his son's Afrikan friend.

While the screenplay is fiction, it is based on the true stories of child soldiers who have gone through War Child's programmes.

A unique medium for a unique cause
The initial Dutch release of the film, ‘Wit Licht’, was quite unique it its form, bringing the virutally unknown issue if child soldiery closer to a broader public. As a non-profit specialising in helping children of war, War Child has always looked for innovative wys of  bring to a broad public our very clear message: Children should never be part of war. Ever.

Spreading the message
The movie has proven to be a unique vehicle for not only spreading this message in the name of chidlren of war, but also for raising attention to the issue of child soldiers and gathering support for helping these children become empowered so that they can live normal, healthy lives again.