Movie Review: The Hunting Ground

I felt blessed to hear about the showing of The Hunting Ground at UVU. I attended it this past Spring with a friend and was so grateful to see it. As a college rape survivor the stories touched my heart.The movie depicts several real stories of rape on college campuses, the lack of support by universities, and the steps some victims are taking to try and make it better. You can see the trailer here.

(image borrowed from pavingtheway.net)

 

I really wanted to see the film but I was scared to death it would just be one long triggering experience. Thankfully for me it wasn't. My experience was different enough that it didn't return me back to my own trauma. In my case I went to the university police and was told that "It's your word against his there's nothing we can do. You have no evidence." Which in reality was not true at all. That experience with the police made me feel completely alone and reinforced the lie that it was my fault and no one could help me. Thankfully, over ten years later when I went to the police again, this time the city police and not the university police, the detective was supportive. Although similar to the movie, the prosecutor denied filing charges in my case because I didn't have a recorded confession and the jury would most likely blame me for the horrors I experienced.

The film was informative and eye opening. I was grateful to learn about the women trying to End Rape on Campus through fighting colleges with Title IX complaints. After I viewed the film I visited with the counseling department, women's resources, university police, Title IX and Dean's office at my university. While there are many people who want to make changes to help victims, there are some key ones that don't. It really breaks my heart that victims don't know where to go and when they do ask for help, they aren't getting what they need. There have been many times I have screamed out in frustration with tears pouring from my eyes as I pray to change the hearts of key university leaders. You have to care about and love victims to help them. Wishing that the problem would go away doesn't stop rape, it only perpetuates it and breaks the souls of those that have been affected by it. The people who desperately need and deserve help and support.

A moment in the film that impacted me was when victims described calling their parents to tell them, or deciding to never tell them that they were raped. Some parents blamed the victims and others caught the first flight to see them. That moment made me realize how important a loving family is. To know you are loved and have people to support you is huge. And when you don't, the devastating effects of rape are compounded. Unfortunately for me it took months to tell my family and when I did I was told "My daughter's don't get raped" and that it's just something that happens. I was completely alone, with no one to help me. It was awful. And, like a few others in the film, many times I contemplated ending my life.

This film is important and I'm so grateful it was created. And I am even more grateful that is now available for home viewing. Please watch and share with others. You can purchase, rent and share it on iTunes.

Did you see the film? What did you think? What impacted you the most?