Director: Kirby Dick
The Hunting Ground
Rating: 5/5
Kirby Dick brought us one of the best documentaries back in 2012 with The Invisible War, which highlighted the level of sexual assault toward women in the U.S. military... now he is back with The Hunting Ground.
The Hunting Ground sees him return to the documentary genre as he shines a light on the shocking level of sexual assault and rape on college campuses in America - and some of the most famous schools in the U.S. are turning a blind eye to this epidemic.
Weaving together verité footage and first-person testimonies, the film follows survivors as they pursue their education while fighting for justice - despite harsh retaliation, harassment and pushback at every level.
The Hunting Ground is one of the most terrifying, disturbing, blood-boiling and important movies that you will see this year and it is a film that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
It is just staggering that so many students become victims at institutions where they are supposed to feel safe and this movie really does lift the lid on this ever growing problem. What's even more shocking, is the fact the U.S. colleges are putting their image and reputation before the safety of their students and before the need for justice for those who are victims.
The statistics in the film are tough enough to stomach but it is the amount of women and men who have been brave enough to come forward and tell their story. It is the bravery of these men and women as they continue to fight to be heard and to get justice for what has happened to them.
It is the real-life stories that is The Hunting Ground's most powerful and emotional core and you will feel yourself getting more angry and horrified with each and every story that you hear. Kirby Dick's film has given a real voice to these individuals has helped put a spotlight on an issue that continues to be swept under the carpet.
The Hunting Ground is a movie for the survivors and by the survivors and the director is not interested in hearing the other side of the argument - which is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the documentary genre.
Kirby Dick is not afraid to only tell the story from the side of those whose lives have been impacted by these horrific crimes and that makes the message of The Hunting Ground all the more powerful and devastating. This is a movie that gets behind the headlines and the soundbites and is, instead, something intimate and incredibly personal and keeps the focus 100% on the survivors - as it rightly should be.
Everyone will have a different experience when they watch The Hunting Ground, for me, I found it a difficult and truly terrifying watch. The fighting spirit that the survivors have shown truly is gripping and the activism that has followed - led by Andrea and Annie - is incredibly inspiring.
The Hunting Ground, much like The Invisible War, is one of these 'must see' movies as it shines a light on a growing problem that really has been kept incredibly quiet. This is a movie that is not afraid to lay the blame at the door of the colleges and the authorities who refused to take these allegations seriously.
This is a powerful and haunting film that raises a lot of questions, points a lot of fingers, and will hopefully help bring about the major change that is needed. This is a documentary that truly cannot be missed.