[vimeo 4014736]
*Check out Director, Nancy Schwartzman’s Paradigm Shift blog post about our December event!
posted originally http://whereisyourline.org
THE FILM
A one night stand far from home goes terribly wrong. As the filmmaker unravels her experience, she decides to confront her attacker.
Told through a “sex-positive” lens, THE LINE is a 24 minute documentary about a young woman – the filmmaker- who is raped, but her story isn’t cut and dry. Not a “perfect victim,” the filmmaker confronts her attacker, recording the conversation with a hidden camera. Sex workers, survivors and activists discuss justice, accountability and today’s “rape culture.” The film asks the question: where is the line defining consent? THE LINE was completed in July 2009.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
I never intended to make a film about my sexual boundaries, or to involve myself in THE LINE.
Formerly a wild, outspoken and fierce young woman, I sank into silence after my sexual assault. I was blocked, stunned, confused and angry. After this event, my life took a drastic turn, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to film it. I kept quiet. When I finally did gain the courage to speak, I was directly and indirectly blamed for what happened.
THE LINE is an intensely personal film.
I felt compelled to tell my story when it became clear that as a sexual woman, who is not “a perfect victim,” I would be blamed for what happened. My rape was not clear cut: I was already in his bed. Learning from attorneys that I had legal recourse, but it probably wouldn’t hold up in court, I used filmmaking as a tool to better understand the context in which I was raised, and the world that young men and women are growing up in today. Hearing from friends and peers that I was overreacting, or partially to blame for what happened, compelled me further. Filming frat boys, prostitutes, educators, and lawmakers gave me a vehicle with which to ask questions, seek answers and provoke a discussion. Deciding to confront my attacker and film it with a hidden camera, gave me ownership and control, a strength I didn’t know I had. It allowed me to face my fear, and construct a film around the powerful dialogue.
Using THE LINE, and the newly launched The Line Campaign to spark dialogue, the viewer is invited to discuss complex scenarios about healthy relationships and sex.
