The Hunting Ground
Movie: The Hunting Ground
Director: Kirby Dick
Genre: Documentary
Release Date: February 27, 2015
Run Time: 103 minutes
The Hunting Ground, released February 27, 2015, is directed by Kirby Dick and has proven to be an eye-opening documentary about rape on college campuses. The documentaries heartwarming beginning of hopeful college students receiving their acceptance letters and entering into their first year on campus was soon cut short as the unresting reality of what really happens in those four years sets in. Over the course of one year, Kirby Dick and his producer, Amy Ziering, take on the task of interviewing many young women and even men, asking them to recount their most terrifying and out right petrifying encounter with their alleged assaulters. The topic of sexual assault, primarily on a college campus, is highly viewed as controversial. “Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. College age women are four times more likely to be sexully assaulted than any other age group, and the majority of rapes are committed by someone who the victim knows.” (Sexual Assault on College Campuses ‐ Discussion Questions (n.d.): n. pag. Web.) The question of “what can we do as a nationwide college community to reduce cases of rape and sexual assault?” is constantly on the table, but statistics show that each year, that rate increasing dramatically. Not only does the average number of sexual assaults increase, the amount of sexual assaults that are unreported increase as well. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 90% of victims sexually assaulted do not report. ("Facts about Sexual Violence." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Web.)
During the time of this documentaries release, the topic of how campus officials were “handling (or mishandling)” sexual assault cases was high on the list. The Department of Education was asked to investigate 55 Universities on their protocols. These included Harvard College, UNC Chapel Hill, and UC Berkeley. The department was also asked to investigate, within these 55 colleges, if they were in direct violation of Title IX, which states “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.”("Title IX Frequently Asked Questions." NCAA.org. N.p., 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.) Throughout the first 30 minutes of the 103 minute film, I found myself very intrigued by the amount of depth these victims were asked of by the interviewer, while describing their accounts of rape and sexual assault. The more they described, the more I, as a viewer, was able to personally place myself “in their shoes”.
Kirby Dick is a two-time Emmy-award winning and a two-time Academy award-nominated director in documentary films. Dick has directed for a multitude of documentaries much like the Hunting Ground. These include: The Invisible Man, Twist of Faith, and Outrage; all of which are directed toward controversial topics such as human sexuality, dissimulation, and confidentiality. With that said, Dick’s choice to direct this documentary came with no surprise. Though he seems to be no stranger to it, it is unclear through my further research what his connection is to this subject. After the Hunting Ground was released, Harvard issued a complaint, stating the documentary “provides a seriously false picture ... of the general sexual assault phenomenon at universities.” (McElroy, Contributor Wendy. "Is 'The Hunting Ground' Documentary or Propaganda?" TheHill. N.p., 01 Feb. 2016. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.) Journalist, Emily Yoffe, felt strongly enough about one student’s innocence mentioned in the film, she wrote “How the Hunting Ground Blurs the Truth.” Such uprising brought forth more of the cases mentioned in the film to be reevaluated, leading a jury to determine a former charged sex offender to only be found guilty of a nonsexual act of “touching.” Each film Kirby Dick has directed, holds such a strong meaning behind them. The actors featured in the film the Invisible War, stated that his work has significantly changed their lives, and their own personal view on the issue at hand. I feel as if he has done the same thing not only for the actors of the film the Hunting Ground, but for me as well. As a college student myself, this film has taught me to value my education more during the time I am here, strictly because I have learned to focus on values that will only help me succeed in the future, not question what will happen by the end of the night.
From the beginning of the documentary, it is clear where the conflict lies. It is the victim against her abuser, and the victim’s story against the school he or she attends. Annie E. Clark and Andrea Pino, fellow college students at UNC Chapel, as well as victims, are viewed extensively throughout the film. It is through their stories that led to the Title IX complaint filed against the Department of Education. New York Times could not have stated it any better, “Ms. Pino and Ms. Clark are courageous, inspiring figures, and they, along with the other women and men who talk openly about their school histories and ordeals, are the reasons to see The Hunting Ground.” (Dargis, Manohla. "Review: ‘The Hunting Ground’ Documentary, a Searing Look at Campus Rape." The New York Times. The New York Times, 2015. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.) It is by their example that we should lead ourselves and others on a path seeking justice for victims suffering through what could possibly happen to us if we are not careful. The Hunting Ground clearly portrays a problem that everyone should be aware of and set out to change, especially college students entering into their first year, as well as ones currently on campus. This increasing problem could potentially be leading to a compromise of one’s education. Spoken truthfully from the victims showed in this documentary, their education was sacrificed after their encounters solely due to the lack of support given to them by their university as a whole.
Director: Kirby Dick
Genre: Documentary
Release Date: February 27, 2015
Run Time: 103 minutes
The Hunting Ground, released February 27, 2015, is directed by Kirby Dick and has proven to be an eye-opening documentary about rape on college campuses. The documentaries heartwarming beginning of hopeful college students receiving their acceptance letters and entering into their first year on campus was soon cut short as the unresting reality of what really happens in those four years sets in. Over the course of one year, Kirby Dick and his producer, Amy Ziering, take on the task of interviewing many young women and even men, asking them to recount their most terrifying and out right petrifying encounter with their alleged assaulters. The topic of sexual assault, primarily on a college campus, is highly viewed as controversial. “Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. College age women are four times more likely to be sexully assaulted than any other age group, and the majority of rapes are committed by someone who the victim knows.” (Sexual Assault on College Campuses ‐ Discussion Questions (n.d.): n. pag. Web.) The question of “what can we do as a nationwide college community to reduce cases of rape and sexual assault?” is constantly on the table, but statistics show that each year, that rate increasing dramatically. Not only does the average number of sexual assaults increase, the amount of sexual assaults that are unreported increase as well. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 90% of victims sexually assaulted do not report. ("Facts about Sexual Violence." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Web.)
During the time of this documentaries release, the topic of how campus officials were “handling (or mishandling)” sexual assault cases was high on the list. The Department of Education was asked to investigate 55 Universities on their protocols. These included Harvard College, UNC Chapel Hill, and UC Berkeley. The department was also asked to investigate, within these 55 colleges, if they were in direct violation of Title IX, which states “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.”("Title IX Frequently Asked Questions." NCAA.org. N.p., 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.) Throughout the first 30 minutes of the 103 minute film, I found myself very intrigued by the amount of depth these victims were asked of by the interviewer, while describing their accounts of rape and sexual assault. The more they described, the more I, as a viewer, was able to personally place myself “in their shoes”.
Kirby Dick is a two-time Emmy-award winning and a two-time Academy award-nominated director in documentary films. Dick has directed for a multitude of documentaries much like the Hunting Ground. These include: The Invisible Man, Twist of Faith, and Outrage; all of which are directed toward controversial topics such as human sexuality, dissimulation, and confidentiality. With that said, Dick’s choice to direct this documentary came with no surprise. Though he seems to be no stranger to it, it is unclear through my further research what his connection is to this subject. After the Hunting Ground was released, Harvard issued a complaint, stating the documentary “provides a seriously false picture ... of the general sexual assault phenomenon at universities.” (McElroy, Contributor Wendy. "Is 'The Hunting Ground' Documentary or Propaganda?" TheHill. N.p., 01 Feb. 2016. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.) Journalist, Emily Yoffe, felt strongly enough about one student’s innocence mentioned in the film, she wrote “How the Hunting Ground Blurs the Truth.” Such uprising brought forth more of the cases mentioned in the film to be reevaluated, leading a jury to determine a former charged sex offender to only be found guilty of a nonsexual act of “touching.” Each film Kirby Dick has directed, holds such a strong meaning behind them. The actors featured in the film the Invisible War, stated that his work has significantly changed their lives, and their own personal view on the issue at hand. I feel as if he has done the same thing not only for the actors of the film the Hunting Ground, but for me as well. As a college student myself, this film has taught me to value my education more during the time I am here, strictly because I have learned to focus on values that will only help me succeed in the future, not question what will happen by the end of the night.
From the beginning of the documentary, it is clear where the conflict lies. It is the victim against her abuser, and the victim’s story against the school he or she attends. Annie E. Clark and Andrea Pino, fellow college students at UNC Chapel, as well as victims, are viewed extensively throughout the film. It is through their stories that led to the Title IX complaint filed against the Department of Education. New York Times could not have stated it any better, “Ms. Pino and Ms. Clark are courageous, inspiring figures, and they, along with the other women and men who talk openly about their school histories and ordeals, are the reasons to see The Hunting Ground.” (Dargis, Manohla. "Review: ‘The Hunting Ground’ Documentary, a Searing Look at Campus Rape." The New York Times. The New York Times, 2015. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.) It is by their example that we should lead ourselves and others on a path seeking justice for victims suffering through what could possibly happen to us if we are not careful. The Hunting Ground clearly portrays a problem that everyone should be aware of and set out to change, especially college students entering into their first year, as well as ones currently on campus. This increasing problem could potentially be leading to a compromise of one’s education. Spoken truthfully from the victims showed in this documentary, their education was sacrificed after their encounters solely due to the lack of support given to them by their university as a whole.