Oscar Nominees Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering Announce Hollywood Sexual Assault Documentary
Zack Sharf
Kirby Dick (“The Invisible War”) and Amy Ziering (“The Hunting Ground”) are teaming up for a new documentary that will explore Hollywood’s history of sexual assault allegations and cover-ups. According to an official release, the untitled documentary will also “explore the culture that enables and protects them” and “provide a safe place for survivors to share their stories.”
The announcement comes on the heels of the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal. Over the last several weeks, more than 40 women have gone on the record alleging the former head of The Weinstein Company of sexual harassment and/or abuse. Women who have accused Weinstein include Oscar winners like Lupita Nyong’o, Angelina Jolie, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Actresses Rose McGowan and Asia Argento have accused Weinstein of rape.
The Weinstein scandal has encouraged numerous women to come forward with other harassment allegations against directors, showrunners, and more. Model and actress Carrie Stevens accused Oliver Stone of groping her at a party in 1991, while over a dozen women have accused animator and “The Loud House” creator Chris Savino of harassment. The latter allegations inspired over 200 women and gender-nonconforming people in the animation industry to write an open letter demanding an end to sexual harassment.
“Documentaries, more than any other medium, bring an intensely moving investigative lens to controversial subject matter,” Dick said about the new project in an official statement. “What our film will capture, especially at this pivotal turning point in Hollywood history, is the underlying current of abuse and manipulation at the hands of power. Our film will also underscore the courage it takes to come forward and be a catalyst for change.”
According to Ziering, the two directors have been working on this project for several years, but only now because of the Weinstein stories are they able to get enough people on board to speak out.
“Distributors were unwilling to fund or release the film, and few people were willing to talk on the record,” Ziering said about trying to make the film in the past. “Then the Weinstein stories broke, and it’s like an invisible dam collapsed. People at long last are speaking out in large numbers, and we feel this industry, and the country, is finally ready for an unflinching film about the reality of sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood.”
The film is presented by Impact Partners, Artemis Rising Foundation, and Shark Island Institute. The release date has not yet been announced.
