ABOUT THE FILM
Based on investigative reporting that began in 2018, and uncovered a systemic church cover-up of sexual abuse, “Keep Quiet and Forgive” follows former Amish woman Lizzie Hershberger, thirty years after surviving sexual assault, as she breaks her silence—setting in motion a growing movement of Amish and Mennonite survivors confronting generations of abuse, institutional silence, and barriers to justice within one of America's most insular religious communities.
Carefully filmed over five years across multiple states, “Keep Quiet and Forgive” serves as a journalistic record of how sexual abuse and incest survives, unchallenged, inside America’s Amish and Mennonite communities, and how one woman’s decision to speak fundamentally changes legal and institutional responses.
As Lizzie’s story becomes public, other survivors begin to come forward. Their stories, along with prominent court cases, serve as the reporting lens in which we reveal the effects of a church-sponsored system of covering up sexual violence: shunning, excommunication, family separation and loss, mental health struggle, suicide ideation, generational trauma, and a broken law enforcement system. Longstanding traditions encouraged survivors to "forgive and forget" their abusers and share blame, rather than seek accountability and healing.
In Wisconsin, Katrina faces pressure to abandon her criminal case after seeking justice against a Mennonite man who raped her in a greenhouse. In Indiana, Elizabeth rebuilds her life after helping convict her sexually violent and abusive husband. In Minnesota, Menno gets a second chance at life after battling suicide ideation and depression—the aftermath from being abused by a brother and excommunicated from his family.
Former Amish woman Dena Schrock, together with Lizzie, cofounds “Voices of Hope,” the first survivor-led organization dedicated to supporting victims and breaking cycles of abuse within Plain communities.
By documenting voices rarely heard in the public record and investigating systems that allowed abuse to remain hidden, “Keep Quiet and Forgive” demonstrates how individual acts of courage can become the catalyst for a broader reckoning—demonstrating the power of journalism, survivor testimony, and collective action to expose systemic injustice and inspire public accountability.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
KEEP QUIET AND FORGIVE began with a simple curiosity: What do Amish women care about? What do they talk about among themselves? What issues are important to them? Who are the women inside one of the world’s most insular communities? As a journalist, who has reported on numerous groups and cultures across the globe for over a decade, I’ve always been drawn to the unheard story. In 2018, I began pursuing a story about Amish women fighting back against a church coverup of sexual abuse.
After publishing the year-long investigation in Cosmopolitan Magazine in partnership with Type Investigations, I spoke at length with these women about a documentary. I wondered: Would a community known for silence accept a film like this? The answer from the women was a resounding YES. No one had ever invited them to share their stories in such an intimate, raw and honest way. I wasn’t looking to sensationalize them; I wanted to understand their way of life without expectations or demands. It turns out, they didn’t want to live separately from the world, always, but they were willing to fight for their place in it.
As a Mexican-American journalist born and raised in Southern California, I was an unlikely candidate to embed with this group. Yet, over the years, I found connections and friendships among Amish and Mennonite women. I discovered that these rural farmland communities, from from the cities of Los Angeles or New York City, are home to some of the most beautiful souls, yet toughest and fiercely loving and compassionate women I have ever had the honor to meet. It has been the honor of a lifetime to play a small part in helping them break their silence and find their audience.
Thank you for watching KEEP QUIET AND FORGIVE,.
Sarah McClure
Director
AWARDS
2025 Red Rose Film Festival Best Feature Film
2021 Finalist for IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund
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