Fat Dude Digs Flicks

In honor of the upcoming release of CHRONICLE, the found footage action film of teenagers with super powers, /film paid tribute to the greatest found footage films you may not have seen. Included on this list are the wonderfully and comically brutal MAN BITES DOG and the recent cult phenomenon THE TROLL HUNTER. However, they also listed a 16-minute film (available here FREE and perfectly legal) called … NO LIES. Having a few minutes to spare I decided to take a look.

The film starts off easily enough. A film student is testing out his new camera by filming his girlfriend applying make-up. It’s easy to see why he is so spellbound. She is absolutely gorgeous and very easy to listen to as she speaks. He continues to film her, despite her statements that it must be boring hearing her speak of nothing while putting on eye shadow. Their conversation starts off innocent enough. She asks him what necklace he prefers. She talks about her friends and family. He asks about her love life. As he interrupts her from discussing a movie she recently saw, she drops a bombshell.

“I got raped last week.”

As she laughs it off, the man behind the camera pries deeper, wanting her to describe what happened, how it happened, and what she did about it. She reveals her story, discussing the doctors and police officers who did nothing to help, reflecting a culture founded on the ideals of victim blaming. The officer in charge of her case questions her on the details of the rape in regards to what she was wearing as she exited her apartment, making the assumption that perhaps her lack of attire provoked someone to attack her. As the questioning continues, she informs her friend that the officer began talking about his personal life. She grew more and more uncomfortable before coming to the conclusion that nothing could be done.

Through nervous laughter, she explains the events, seeming not to believe that she was the victim of something so awful. Perhaps a sign of the times, she wants to treat this event as if nothing happened and move on. We see the face of a woman changed forever trying to fight off the impact of this horrific event until her friend pushes her too far.

“Are you sure it happened at all?”

This question changes everything. No longer the casual friend telling a story, she is now a woman affected by pain, fighting a man who symbolizes all of the doubt and disbelief in the world around her. All of the hurt and pain comes flying out of her in a stream of tears and angry responses. As the film nears its end, we can see just how shattered she has become. She is ready to leave to the event the two planned on attending while the filmmaker wants to bring his film to a fitting conclusion. She wants out of the apartment, broken by the event and broken by her friend, but still terrified by the world outside. She wants his company for the walk to the theater as companionship and possible security. 

This short film is difficult to watch, but should be essential viewing. Filmed forty years ago, I’d like to believe that our beliefs as a society towards combating rape have changed. I want to live ina  world of sunshine where we rush to comfort an accuser. However, I’m smarter than that. We still blame the victim. Women are instantly held accountable because they chose to dress a particular way. Do we stop for a moment to consider the best way to stop a rape is to NOT RAPE SOMEONE? Can we believe that someone has been attacked instead of attempting to destroy their credibility? In forty years, perhaps the medical and law community have changed. I have not been involved in something like this firsthand to know. However, I know we still doubt the victims. Professional athletes are accused of crimes and can get off unscathed by planting seeds of doubt and paying fractions of their income. Forty years is an entire lifespan and we have not progressed.