For the T.V. binge watchers out there, I am sure that you’ve probably felt lost without your weekly dose of Game of Thrones or after completing all of Orange is the New Black (OITNB) in one sitting. And the addition of Season 12 of Grey’s Anatomy and Season five of Scandal? I’ve been in heaven. Now, as all of my favorite shows have been watched, I sit aimlessly scrolling through the vast sea of shows and movies at my disposal. Interestingly enough, I see a genre that I’m not too familiar with—documentaries.
To be quite honest, I’m not sure why I haven’t really explored this genre. It’s like the Bermuda Triangle to my world map; uncharted territory. Why had I not ventured into the genre that lies between “Comedies” and “Dramas”? After a long and stressful day working two jobs, maybe I prefer escaping into the fantasy world of Game of Thrones or OITNB because real world life can, at times, be quite monotonous. Or maybe it’s more simple. Maybe I’ve always generalized documentaries to be sad and depressing. After pondering this and investing quite a few hours exploring my newfound genre, I came across my current favorite documentary that truly inspired and incentivized me to action towards other social justice issues that I’m passionate about.
The University of North Carolina. Florida State. Notre Dame. Amherst College. University of Virginia. Saint Mary’s College. These are just some of the many colleges that are examined in The Hunting Ground because of sexual assaults that have occurred and have unfortunately been left quite unresolved. The Hunting Ground is a shocking display and reminder that in today’s society, women are disproportionately subjected to sexual assault by men on their college campuses, the same college campuses that have an obligation to protect their students.
What’s just as, if not more, terrible than the crime itself is the uphill battle survivors face if they decide to go public and seek justice from their universities. This uphill battle, riddled with victim-blaming and victim-shaming, ultimately and unfortunately supports the perpetrators of sexual assault and rape; universities inactions condone crimes that should be severely punished.
Andrea Pino and Annie Clark, founders of End Rape On Campus, traveled around the United States advocating and seeking justice for fellow women and men affected by sexual assault. Their actions ultimately led to the filing of a 34-page complaint against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. As difficult as it is to face strong entities like a university or the police whom don’t acknowledge nor seek justice on your behalf, survivors like Andrea and Annie show the true power that the individual has, even in the most powerless of situations.
Yes, after watching this documentary—and many others I add—tears were shed, angry eye rolls were present, and shouts of “Why is the world like this?” and “How do we live in this kind of society?” occurred. Ultimately, it is documentaries like The Hunting Ground and others that catalyze social change in a world that people have not bettered and maybe even worsened. Whether your interests lie with food justice or animal rights or sexual assault, documentaries like Food Inc. or Blackfish or even The Hunting Ground only begin the change that we need all around the world. You can participate far more than updating your social media with a hashtag or having a polarizing debate on Facebook; volunteer with or donate to an organization that shares your passion, peacefully protest, or even contacting your government officials.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
