It Was Rape

Two new films aim to educate viewers on the realities of sexual violence. In It Was Rape, Baumgardner interviews eight women, including her sister, who were victims of rape and sexual assault. The film consists of those women simply, powerfully relating their histories and recounting the events surrounding the violence they lived through. Their backgrounds differ, and the circumstances of their rapes and assaults vary, but each woman faces the camera squarely and shares the common elements experienced in the aftermath of sexual violence. The filmmaker trusts her subjects to tell their tales without interference, with no punches pulled. With deft editing, savvy restraint, and the tremendous courage of her subjects on display, Baumgardner captures their dignity, outrage, and ultimate triumph over their horrendous ordeals.Lockers incorporates five filmed episodes designed to enhance the Centers for Disease Controls' recommended curricula on sexual violence prevention. Meant for classroom viewing, each episode employs student actors and realistic story lines in illustrative scenes about friends and acquaintances in a high school. Sexual harassment, gender stereotypes, dating violence, sexual assault, and media safety are explored. The language and situations are explicit, up-to-date, and thoughtfully open-ended enough to avoid judgments and encourage discussion. An accompanying study guide adds questions for classroom use and additional topical materials.