Natascha: The Girl in the Cellar (2010)

Honestly, when she was initially free and in the media, I didn't believe the story she was telling. She insisted that she wasn't a victim, that she had never been raped, and that she was happy to be free and ready to get on with her life. I wondered how that could even be remotely possible, after being starved and forced to live in a bunker for eight years, especially after being snatched as a child, because rape is usually the reason people snatch children, right? After hearing this, her complete version of events after several years of freedom, I realize that it's wrong of me to assume that I know ALL of the motives of oppressors, or the mindset and reactions of the oppressed. Natascha is a prime example of all that can be gained from levelheaded thinking, a strong will, and tirelessly working to improve oneself, no matter the circumstance. It's shameful that society makes the recovery of people like this more difficult simply because we're willing to misunderstand reality for the sake of a good story.

"Natascha Kampusch - 3096 Tage Gefangenschaft" or "Natascha: The Girl in the Cellar" is a 43-minute documentary from 2010 that focuses as the English-language title already suggests on the horrible crime that happened to Austrian Natascha Kampusch. She managed to escape from her captor's house after roughly 8 years of abuse and humiliation. This is the subject of this documentary and it is basically all about Kampusch herself giving interviews and talking about her life between the age of 10 and 18. It is important to state that most of the violence did not really have a sexual background. It was all about power and Kampusch was kept like a slave during these years.I can see why people develop a bit of a dislike towards Kampusch. It may come off in a way where she is attention-seeking with the book she wrote and her presence in television and this documentary here for example as if she was trying to make as much money from it as possible. But regardless of what I think, can you blame a woman who had to go through what she did for anything she makes or decides after her martyrdom ends? And who knows maybe she really managed to deal with the events and this is the way that helps her the most in doing so. I don't think anybody can criticize her for what she did. It is a pretty haunting documentary, but there are moments when I felt that I really did not want to know any of the details to be honest. It's okay that the police knows, but does the general public really need to know? I don't think it will help in the prevention of other crimes of a similar nature in the future. But I also think it would be wrong to say Austria has a problem with the Kampusch and Fritzl cases to be honest. It's just a major coincidence I guess. Anyway, as a whole I would not say this pretty short documentary here is a must-see, but it is an interesting and informative watch and gives major insight in one of the cruelest cases of kidnapping of the last century. You sure need a thick skin though to sit through it. The saddest thing however is seeing Kampusch on these old photos from when she was a child and see her now what these years have turned her into. Then again, she can be very lucky to be alive I guess. On a final note, the one was written by Alina Teodorescu and written by Peter Reichard who also worked on the Kampusch movie from a couple years after this one here. I guess this documentary and also the film got a push in terms of attention thanks to the Oscar-winning Brie Larson film "Room". Feel free to check out my review for that one as well. But back to this one here I suggest you check it out.