Marjorie Nielsen On The Making Of "It Happened Here"
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Marjorie Nielsen On The Making Of "It Happened Here"

Authority wasn't the answer for them.

88
Marjorie Nielsen On The Making Of "It Happened Here"

The term "sexual assault" has become strikingly and frighteningly synonymous with "college" in recent years, especially on the heels of the horrific Stanford case that captivated our news feeds earlier this summer. Early in my senior year, I came across a 2014 documentary by the name of, "It Happened Here." The film was released a year earlier than "The Hunting Ground." I actually found "It Happened Here" to strike more of a chord, telling the story of five college girls, Angie Epifano (Amherst College), Kylie Angell (UConn), Sarah O'Brien (Vanderbilt), Carolyn Luby (UConn) and Erica Daniels (UConn), their assaults and what they did to help future victims. The film's producer, Marjorie Nielsen, was kind enough to speak with me about the film and everything that went into it.

When asked how she approached the women in the film, Marjorie said, "There's resources and organizations where women have already come forth, where they've just taken action....The very first thing I did was contact Angie Epifano through the Amherst paper, and she got right back to us. And we started filming her two weeks later...we just started right away. And then from Angie I moved onto other — I just put the word out. I thought that would be the hard part — was getting women to speak."

On the contrary though, the difficult part wasn't getting the victims to talk, but their administrators, who came under fire after the women filed Title IX complaints against the schools (remember, three of the women featured were students at UConn — three).

Regarding the lack of women of color and male victims in the film, Marjorie admitted to having to fall on her sword for that one. She explained that though they tried to depict a cross-section of victims (from state schools, athletes, those in Greek life), it wasn't a full depiction. "It was not hard getting the women to come forth."

Marjorie empathizes with the steps schools have to take, "I feel bad for schools, I really do. They're not mental health experts, and they're not criminal experts. And they've got to get those resources unfortunately. And they've got to get them where they're accessible to the students."

Regarding the hesitation of victims to come forward, Marjorie equated it to that feeling of dread and unease we all feel at the sight of a cop car, whether or not we've done anything to warrant getting pulled over. We still feel guilty; we still feel like maybe we did something that could be misconstrued that maybe somehow brought about the controversial act. You'd think something along the lines of, "I was in his room, my bad....[You] just really start to blame yourself. Are you really going to call the cop[s]?"

The film hits home, not least for anyone who hasn't found solace in authority in a time of need.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

93486
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments