Guest Post by Summera Howell
In recent months outcries of “me too” have rocked Hollywood, politics, and America. As woman after woman has come forth, each voice has strengthened the roar. A band of young female filmmakers from Los Angeles are bringing visuals to the outcry: together with an entirely female crew, 10 women directors have created an official #MeToo PSA.
My name is Summera Howell, and I created the #MeToo PSA project as a way for survivors of sexual harassment and abuse to work through their past trauma. I wanted to create a space for artists to make something positive and proactive out of their experience, and to reach out to survivors of all backgrounds. There’s no one better than female filmmakers in Hollywood to make this PSA, and so through word of mouth and various online feminist groups, I collected a team of incredible women to create individual vignettes telling a larger story of systemic abuse.
As producer and first AD Kristen Laffey observes, this project is essential for this moment in time. “While our mic is still hot and our stories are being heard, it is a pivotal time to reshape our culture,” she says. “Our goal with this content is to keep the momentum of this movement going as long as we can until real systematic changes are actualized. This is just the beginning.”
This is a story of “victims” empowering themselves. The majority of the directors are survivors of the experiences portrayed onscreen, and not only have they used their talents as a way to work through their trauma, but by releasing the work publicly they reach out to women around the world to let them know they’re not alone.
In the words of one of the directors, AWD member Kayden Phoenix, “I volunteered for this campaign because it’s imperative to stand united. By staying quiet, predators are still out in the loose and that’s dangerous. We have a voice and maybe me doing this will help the future and the past sexually harassed victims find theirs. We’re strong regardless, but we’re unconquerable because we stand together, in solidarity.” Fellow director Rachel Fleischer agrees: “The ways in which we as women are affected by these experiences are profound, layered, and complex; they can only be fully revealed over time. Making work like this is part of uncovering those layers in the hopes that we can not only heal, but bring about real change.”
The PSA, which is included below, showcases women of all ages, races, bodytypes, and cultures systematically abused by those in positions of power. Whether it’s an older teacher, a potential boss, or a trusted friend or lover, each segment shows that abuse can happen to any woman at any time. The PSA mixes risks and safety, contrasting tableaus set in clubs and dimly lit parking garages with those set in homes, parks, and churches. And the PSA is well aware of the moment that kicked off the #MeToo Movement: one of the segments echoes a late night Harvey Weinstein interview, complete with complicit assistant and whiskey.
This PSA made a strong commitment to authenticity: the director of a scene about harassment in the military is a veteran, the director of a piece showing lesbians ogled by straight men is LBGTQ, the director of a segment about a woman in a hijab is of Iranian descent. By speaking from experience, these women use their art as a means of protesting not only how they’ve been treated as objects, but also how the industry has treated them as artists.
The traditionally male dominated film industry has been reluctant to hire women, and on many sets the only woman might be an actress. The #MeToo PSA flipped that situation on its head. For most of those on set, it was their first experience with an entirely female team. Says director Katherine Voigt: “It was inspiring to see all of these badass professional women come together to create this important piece … Women are rooting for each other in this industry, and working in an environment like that makes you feel like your dreams are possible.”
The entertainment industry frequently dismisses the lack of women working professionally on sets by claiming there simply aren’t enough experienced women to hire. One of the aims of this campaign is to show what an incredible job young women who have not yet had the same opportunities as males can do, demonstrating fear of those without a certain level of professional credit is not a valid reason to exclude women from sets.
As Puppett, one of the directors, points out: “Alyssa Milano’s rebirth of Tarana Burke’s #MeToo movement and the fall of Harvey Weinstein has ignited conversations around hiring practices and culture in the film industry. As directors in this industry, we must hold ourselves accountable to inclusion and empathy, hiring diversely, and setting a tone of mutual respect.” It’s by hiring women that Hollywood will discover the talent they bring to the table.
Summera Howell is a professional actress, filmmaker, and the producer of the #MeToo PSA.
