In media, women’s pain is usually used to motivate men. So there’s a real demand for nuanced portrayals of female trauma, which looks at what women are actually going through — as opposed to how their distress impacts some guy.

Each of this month’s picks deal with women’s trauma and mental health. “Second Assault” sees a rape survivor and documentary filmmaker confronting the cop who, years earlier, refused to believe her. The short doc examines how his initial response exacerbated her pain.

Then, there’s the rom-com web series “How to Survive: A Break-Up,” which lightens up the mood a little. It centers on a recently dumped young woman who is not coping healthily. “Gremlin Girl” also uses humor to examine mental health issues. It’s an animated web series about a woman who’s haunted by her anxieties, literally, as embodied by the titular pest.

Here are Women and Hollywood’s VOD and web series selections for August.

VOD

“Second Assault” (Documentary Short) – Directed by Jillian Corsie and Amy Rosner

Jillian Corsie, along with co-director Amy Rosner, explores personal trauma in this short documentary. In 2005, early in her freshman year of college, Corsie was raped. When she reported it to the University of Arizona Police Department, Lieutenant David Caballero and other officers deemed the encounter “consensual.” Corsie felt victimized all over again and regretted ever going to the police, but she never forgot Caballero, or took his card out of her wallet. 

This film chronicles the second meeting between Corsie and a contrite Caballero, over a decade later. Societal attitudes have changed a lot regarding rape. Caballero acknowledges this, and says it would impact his response if a sexual assault was reported to him today. He is also using his encounters with Corsie — past and present past — to educate his team on how to support survivors.

Since its 2018 premiere, “Second Assault” has won numerous prizes, such as Best Director at the Global Impact Film Festival, Best Crowdfunded Film at the Sidewalk Film Festival, and the Audience Choice Awards at both Julien Dubuque Film Festival and Loft Film Festival.

Watch “Second Assault” on Vimeo.

Web Series

“How to Survive: A Break-Up” – Written by Annie Stamell

YouTube star Eva Gutowski dips her toe into scripted waters with the romantic comedy series “How to Survive: A Break-Up.” Eva stars as a young woman, also named Eva, who has nothing but heart eyes for her boyfriend, Cody (Kyle Butenhoff). Her world is rocked when Cody unexpectedly dumps her, and the series becomes a guide on how to get over a messy breakup. 

Eva copes in a variety of ways, like light stalking, obsessing over his new girlfriend’s social media, and having intense conversations with her friend group over what it all means. She also tries dating again, but could her hang up over the recent split keep her from finding love with someone new?

In an interview with Parade, Gutowski explained how her character is a version of herself. She described this season’s breakup theme as being “aimed at helping my followers with getting through a new experience” and added, “basically every episode is like a stage of getting over someone or a breakup or basically the stages of grief, like denial and all that stuff. Every episode is a new challenge for me.”

You can watch “How to Survive: A Break-Up” on AwesomenessTV’s YouTube channel.

“Gremlin Girl” – Created by Emily Rifkin and Rebecca Warm

This web series follows a millennial named Franny, and her manifested anxiety, Gremlin Girl. Each episode presents relatable anxiety-inducing situations featuring Gremlin Girl. For example, as Franny is trying to fall asleep, Gremlin Girl makes a million nagging thoughts race through Franny’s mind. Another scenario sees Gremlin Girl being so indecisive that Franny can’t choose a dress to wear to a party and ends up just staying in. 

“Gremlin Girl” delightfully highlights neurotic anxieties and mental health in a funny way. It’s observational humor, but with a message. The series also features a catchy theme song, and quirky animation courtesy of co-creator Emily Rifkin.

By portraying everyday anxieties as an actual character — an annoying one at that — Rifkin and Rebecca Warm shine a spotlight on the ubiquity of mental health struggles. And “Gremlin Girl’s” use of humor ensures that Franny’s story resonates with audiences, whether they themselves suffer from anxiety or not.

Watch episodes of “Gremlin Girl” on its website or YouTube channel.