Though Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work towards women’s rights in her country, rape still remains the number one crime in Liberia. In a hospital in the city of Monrovia, filmmaker Jessica Vale discovers a severely malnourished and handicapped nine-year-old girl named Olivia. While the people of her small village blame witchcraft for her life-threatening injuries, doctors conclude that they are actually caused from a rape that happened when she was only seven-years-old.

What follows is a serious look into how such atrocities happen to young girls like Olivia and the cultural reactions to rape since the country’s civil war. Vale also gives a detailed look at the outstanding nurses and doctors struggling to help rape victims and gives insight into the lives of many women and children who still remain helpless, never receiving justice from the Liberian government. Small Small Thing examines an incredibly difficult subject with honesty and compassion, sharing a story that needs to be told in order for change to begin in Liberia and elsewhere.