From DW Documentary.
Jérôme was sexually abused as a child. When he files a complaint against the former priest, he also picks up a camera. He then films the six years leading up to the trial.
Jérôme combs his memories for clues. He confronts the complicity of those around him at the time. This is a film told from a first-person perspective that is both deeply personal and political.
Jérôme Clément-Wilz says: "You are not a victim, you are made one. It’s a complex process that I filmed for six years and described from a first-person perspective. For years, I had to keep the big bad wolf at bay. Now the justice system is forcing me to name things. The memories are coming back and I have to come to terms with my new self, because until now I was divided. My mind blocked out the violated body. I filmed from the day the criminal complaint was filed to the day the verdict was handed down."
But there’s another problem: concentric circles of relatives and friends surround the rapist and the victim. "He is in prison, but I still have to deal with the others. Which of them had suspicions but looked the other way? Who knew but didn’t want to rock the boat? I film my parents and interview people in my community. What I discover is much worse than I had imagined: a rapist never acts alone. He is protected by a network of cowardice. The lines between denial and complicity are blurred. The question is: how am I supposed to live with this? How should I maintain social and family contacts? Should I reach for a machine gun or try to build a future for myself?"
"In all my films, I address the themes of passing time, relationships, and the unfolding of the psyche. In this film, I tried to show myself as the people in my other documentaries: with all my flaws and U-turns. Nowadays, victims are often portrayed in black and white: they are either heroes or liars, forever ruined or resilient, warning voices or martyrs. I wanted to give them back their present. Because you are not a victim, you are made one."
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