Ahead of its world premiere in competition at SXSW 2024, An Army of Women has been acquired by Together Films in a deal for worldwide rights.
Directed by Julie Lunde Lillesæter, the documentary is about a group of women in Austin, Texas who join forces and help build a movement of plaintiffs legally challenging the system that allowed their rapists to walk free. It’s a landmark story of women fighting to hold law enforcement accountable, with resounding relevance worldwide.
Pic is funded and supported by Norwegian Film Institute, the Fritt Ord Foundation, Still Water Foundation, Viken Film Center, Arts Council Norway, Ndr Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Nrk, Svt & Dr. Lillesæter also served as its producer.
“Premiering our documentary at SXSW in Austin holds immense significance and is a tribute to the courage of survivors and the strength of a community united for change,” said the filmmaker. “Having worked with the thoughtful and...
Directed by Julie Lunde Lillesæter, the documentary is about a group of women in Austin, Texas who join forces and help build a movement of plaintiffs legally challenging the system that allowed their rapists to walk free. It’s a landmark story of women fighting to hold law enforcement accountable, with resounding relevance worldwide.
Pic is funded and supported by Norwegian Film Institute, the Fritt Ord Foundation, Still Water Foundation, Viken Film Center, Arts Council Norway, Ndr Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Nrk, Svt & Dr. Lillesæter also served as its producer.
“Premiering our documentary at SXSW in Austin holds immense significance and is a tribute to the courage of survivors and the strength of a community united for change,” said the filmmaker. “Having worked with the thoughtful and...
- 2/1/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Together Films Acquires Worldwide Rights to SXSW Documentary ‘An Army of Women’ – Film News in Brief
Together Films has acquired the worldwide rights to “An Army of Women,” which will have its world premiere at South by Southwest in March.
The feature documentary, directed by Julie Lunde Lillesæter, follows a group of women in Austin, Texas, who join together to help build a movement of plaintiffs legally challenging the system that allowed their rapists to walk free.
“We believe ‘An Army of Women’ presents a compelling opportunity for major streamers and buyers. This unprecedented story shows that through resilience and solidarity, the systems that fail us can be changed. Our hope is that this can be a catalyst for change for the rest of the US, and that global audiences will be left with the same optimism and fighting spirit that drives the women in our film,” Lillesæter said in a statement.
Norwegian Film Institute, the Fritt Ord Foundation, Still Water Foundation, Viken Film Center, Arts Council Norway,...
The feature documentary, directed by Julie Lunde Lillesæter, follows a group of women in Austin, Texas, who join together to help build a movement of plaintiffs legally challenging the system that allowed their rapists to walk free.
“We believe ‘An Army of Women’ presents a compelling opportunity for major streamers and buyers. This unprecedented story shows that through resilience and solidarity, the systems that fail us can be changed. Our hope is that this can be a catalyst for change for the rest of the US, and that global audiences will be left with the same optimism and fighting spirit that drives the women in our film,” Lillesæter said in a statement.
Norwegian Film Institute, the Fritt Ord Foundation, Still Water Foundation, Viken Film Center, Arts Council Norway,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay, Jaden Thompson and Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: New York-based Women Make Movies has acquired U.S. rights for Palestinian Oscar entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem.
The intimate work sees Soualem accompany her Palestinian-French actress mother Hiam Abbass back to the Arab village within Israeli borders, which she left in the 1980s to pursue her acting career in Europe.
There, they reflect on her past as well as the lives of Abbass’ mother and grandmother in a powerful work exploring themes of displacement, identity and survival across four generations of women.
Wmm executive director Debra Zimmerman said the film was a “perfect fit” for the label, which aims to put spotlight on the work of female filmmakers.
“It is a beautiful film about four generations of Palestinian women,” she said. “I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to have this film seen widely right now by the diverse audiences that need and deserve to see it.
The intimate work sees Soualem accompany her Palestinian-French actress mother Hiam Abbass back to the Arab village within Israeli borders, which she left in the 1980s to pursue her acting career in Europe.
There, they reflect on her past as well as the lives of Abbass’ mother and grandmother in a powerful work exploring themes of displacement, identity and survival across four generations of women.
Wmm executive director Debra Zimmerman said the film was a “perfect fit” for the label, which aims to put spotlight on the work of female filmmakers.
“It is a beautiful film about four generations of Palestinian women,” she said. “I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to have this film seen widely right now by the diverse audiences that need and deserve to see it.
- 12/8/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has released its weekly chart of how movies and television series have been doing on the streamer, with the Jennifer Lopez action-thriller remaining in #1 over the Top 10 English film chart for the week of May 22, its third week in that position. Read on for this week’s analysis.
Before we get to the movies, it’s quite notable that Arnold Schwarzenegger made his debut on the streamer in a rare live action series called “Fubar,” created by Nick Santora (“Scorpion”), which debuted atop the English TV list with 88.9 million hours viewed, easily the most-viewed series of the week. It entered the Top 10 in 90 countries and was the #1 watched series in the United States, Canada and dozens of other countries across the globe.
It still received some stiff competition from the “All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” spin-off series, “Xo, Kitty,” its first season getting 63.8 million hours viewed last...
Before we get to the movies, it’s quite notable that Arnold Schwarzenegger made his debut on the streamer in a rare live action series called “Fubar,” created by Nick Santora (“Scorpion”), which debuted atop the English TV list with 88.9 million hours viewed, easily the most-viewed series of the week. It entered the Top 10 in 90 countries and was the #1 watched series in the United States, Canada and dozens of other countries across the globe.
It still received some stiff competition from the “All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” spin-off series, “Xo, Kitty,” its first season getting 63.8 million hours viewed last...
- 5/30/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
You are reading an exclusive WrapPRO article for free. Want to level up your entertainment career? Subscribe to WrapPRO now.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Fubar” scored big this week as it debuted in the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s English TV List with 88.94 million hours viewed.
The action comedy series, which marked Schwarzenegger’s first TV series, has received more than 12 million views and appeared in the Top 10 in 90 countries this week. The first installment of “To All The Boys” spinoff “Xo, Kitty” followed closely behind “Fubar” in second place with 63.78 million hours viewed while “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” took the third spot on the English TV list with 42.9 million hours, boosting the “Bridgerton” spinoff series to 66 million overall views since its debut as it climbed to the Top 10 in 91 countries. “Bridgerton” Season 2 also made an appearance on this week’s list, though it dropped down to the No. 10 spot with 12.54 million hours watched.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Fubar” scored big this week as it debuted in the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s English TV List with 88.94 million hours viewed.
The action comedy series, which marked Schwarzenegger’s first TV series, has received more than 12 million views and appeared in the Top 10 in 90 countries this week. The first installment of “To All The Boys” spinoff “Xo, Kitty” followed closely behind “Fubar” in second place with 63.78 million hours viewed while “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” took the third spot on the English TV list with 42.9 million hours, boosting the “Bridgerton” spinoff series to 66 million overall views since its debut as it climbed to the Top 10 in 91 countries. “Bridgerton” Season 2 also made an appearance on this week’s list, though it dropped down to the No. 10 spot with 12.54 million hours watched.
- 5/30/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Usually Netflix’s Top 10 favors new projects, but for the week of May 22 to May 28, the streamer experience the power of TikTok as Maid made its way back onto the English-language series list.
More than a year after its release, the Margaret Qualley-led series began trending on TikTok. That led the limited series to secure the eighth spot among English-language series for the week with 14M hours viewed.
At No. 1 was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest offering, Fubar. The action series generated 8.94M hours viewed, making it the most viewed title for the week. According to Netflix, the series appeared in the Top 10 in 90 countries.
In its second week, To All The Boys spinoff Xo, Kitty came in at No. 2 on the list with 63.78M hours viewed.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story also continued to stake a claim among the Top 10, coming in at No. 3 with 42.9M hours viewed. As...
More than a year after its release, the Margaret Qualley-led series began trending on TikTok. That led the limited series to secure the eighth spot among English-language series for the week with 14M hours viewed.
At No. 1 was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest offering, Fubar. The action series generated 8.94M hours viewed, making it the most viewed title for the week. According to Netflix, the series appeared in the Top 10 in 90 countries.
In its second week, To All The Boys spinoff Xo, Kitty came in at No. 2 on the list with 63.78M hours viewed.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story also continued to stake a claim among the Top 10, coming in at No. 3 with 42.9M hours viewed. As...
- 5/30/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
The Netflix movie and TV series that have been dominating the streamer’s weekly viewing chart were both still atop the Top 10 chart for the week of May 15. Read on for this week’s analysis.
Jennifer Lopez‘s action-thriller “The Mother” burst into the weekly streaming chart last week, and it topped the English films list for a second week with 94.4 million hours viewed globally. That means the movie has been viewed by almost 90 million accounts, i.e. 178.1 million hours viewed divided by the movie’s 1.96 hour runtime. It remained in the Top 10 in 93 countries with many of those regions, including the U.S. and Canada, the #1 viewed movie.
The documentary “Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me” also entered the charts in second place with 15.7 million hours viewed, followed by a number of non-Netflix films like Seth McFarlane‘s hit comedy “Ted,” Tom Hanks‘ “A Man Called Otto,” and the sci-fi thriller “Synchronic.
Jennifer Lopez‘s action-thriller “The Mother” burst into the weekly streaming chart last week, and it topped the English films list for a second week with 94.4 million hours viewed globally. That means the movie has been viewed by almost 90 million accounts, i.e. 178.1 million hours viewed divided by the movie’s 1.96 hour runtime. It remained in the Top 10 in 93 countries with many of those regions, including the U.S. and Canada, the #1 viewed movie.
The documentary “Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me” also entered the charts in second place with 15.7 million hours viewed, followed by a number of non-Netflix films like Seth McFarlane‘s hit comedy “Ted,” Tom Hanks‘ “A Man Called Otto,” and the sci-fi thriller “Synchronic.
- 5/23/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Netflix documentary Victim/Suspect examines a broken system that too often turns women from victims of sexual assault to suspects of false claims
In November 2016, Emma Mannion, a freshman at the University of Alabama, called her mom in distress. She had been going to bars with friends, she said, and something happened that she didn’t want to happen. Her mother advised her to go to the hospital. While receiving a vaginal exam as part of a “rape kit”, Tuscaloosa police arrived; they took an initial statement while she was still in her hospital gown.
Three days later, Mannion responded to a request for a formal interview at the police station. She again stated what she could remember: that she had met a few guys while out with friends; that while intoxicated, two guys put their arms around her and forced into the backseat of a car in a gravel parking...
In November 2016, Emma Mannion, a freshman at the University of Alabama, called her mom in distress. She had been going to bars with friends, she said, and something happened that she didn’t want to happen. Her mother advised her to go to the hospital. While receiving a vaginal exam as part of a “rape kit”, Tuscaloosa police arrived; they took an initial statement while she was still in her hospital gown.
Three days later, Mannion responded to a request for a formal interview at the police station. She again stated what she could remember: that she had met a few guys while out with friends; that while intoxicated, two guys put their arms around her and forced into the backseat of a car in a gravel parking...
- 5/20/2023
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
The studio behind the Sundance documentary film, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Concordia Studio has named four new filmmakers to the 2023 class of The Concordia Fellowship.
Distinguished as a premiere artist acceleration program, The Concordia Fellowship strategically fosters the unique creative advancement of each filmmaker, providing generous financial backing alongside targeted guidance and robust creative incubation of Fellows’ individually conceived projects. The Studio-led program also supports its Fellows in building sustainable careers, offering foundational mentorshipswith industry talentandexecutives, as well as exclusive access toConcordia’s production facilities.
Concordia Fellows are the next generation of storytellers emerging from diverse racial, religious, and regional backgrounds across the United States. This year’s Fellows were selected for their singular voices, creative accomplishments, and storytelling ambition.The 2023 Concordia Fellows are Tracy Jarrett, Anayansi Prado, Jarrod Cann, and Cinque Northern. “Building on the momentum of The Concordia Fellowship’s unprecedented success, we’re incredibly...
Distinguished as a premiere artist acceleration program, The Concordia Fellowship strategically fosters the unique creative advancement of each filmmaker, providing generous financial backing alongside targeted guidance and robust creative incubation of Fellows’ individually conceived projects. The Studio-led program also supports its Fellows in building sustainable careers, offering foundational mentorshipswith industry talentandexecutives, as well as exclusive access toConcordia’s production facilities.
Concordia Fellows are the next generation of storytellers emerging from diverse racial, religious, and regional backgrounds across the United States. This year’s Fellows were selected for their singular voices, creative accomplishments, and storytelling ambition.The 2023 Concordia Fellows are Tracy Jarrett, Anayansi Prado, Jarrod Cann, and Cinque Northern. “Building on the momentum of The Concordia Fellowship’s unprecedented success, we’re incredibly...
- 5/17/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Must-watch comedy series, eye-opening documentaries and an expansion of the “Bridgerton” universe are among the noteworthy additions to Netflix this month. May 12 sees the premiere of Jennifer Lopez’s new Netflix original film “The Mother,” in which she plays an assassin lured back in for one last job. And on May 23, the documentary “Victim/Suspect” examines how sexual assault victims too often get turned into suspects when they report their assaults.
“Queen Charlotte,” the “Bridgerton” prequel series, arrives on May 4 while a new season of Tim Robinson’s sketch series “I Think You Should Leave” drops on May 30. And if you missed the most recent season of the niche (but delightful) comedy series “Documentary Now!,” you can stream that on Netflix starting May 9.
Check out the full list of what’s new on Netflix in May 2023 below.
Also Read:
The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Arriving May 1
Above Suspicion
Airport...
“Queen Charlotte,” the “Bridgerton” prequel series, arrives on May 4 while a new season of Tim Robinson’s sketch series “I Think You Should Leave” drops on May 30. And if you missed the most recent season of the niche (but delightful) comedy series “Documentary Now!,” you can stream that on Netflix starting May 9.
Check out the full list of what’s new on Netflix in May 2023 below.
Also Read:
The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Arriving May 1
Above Suspicion
Airport...
- 5/1/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Netflix recently announced it would be investing $2.5 billion into South Korean programming. Before Squid Game season 2 comes down the pike, however, the first seeds of that investment will bear fruit for Netflix in May 2023.
Netflix’s list of new releases for May 2023 is highlighted by the May 12 release of Korean series Black Knight. Set “in a dystopian 2071 devastated by air pollution,” this show will follow world-saving deliverymen known as “Black Knights.” Other international offerings this month include Japanese sumo drama Sanctuary on May 4 and Spanish crime thriller Muted on May 19.
Netflix’s domestic TV options this month include Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on May 4. That will be followed by post-apocalyptic animated comedy Mulligan on May 12 and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s TV debut Fubar on May 25. And for those hoping for “triples,” I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson premieres on May 30.
On the movie side of things, Netflix has an unusually busy month.
Netflix’s list of new releases for May 2023 is highlighted by the May 12 release of Korean series Black Knight. Set “in a dystopian 2071 devastated by air pollution,” this show will follow world-saving deliverymen known as “Black Knights.” Other international offerings this month include Japanese sumo drama Sanctuary on May 4 and Spanish crime thriller Muted on May 19.
Netflix’s domestic TV options this month include Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on May 4. That will be followed by post-apocalyptic animated comedy Mulligan on May 12 and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s TV debut Fubar on May 25. And for those hoping for “triples,” I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson premieres on May 30.
On the movie side of things, Netflix has an unusually busy month.
- 5/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
"It's only in the details that you start seeing how a reporting victim becomes a suspect." Netflix debuted their official trailer for a documentary titled Victim/Suspect, made by doc director Nancy Schwartzman, arriving this May. This premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and also screened Cph:dox in Denmark. Victim/Suspect chronicles journalist Rae de Leon's investigation into a shocking nationwide pattern: Women tell the police they’ve been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they’re charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them. This all sounds horrifying, and it absolutely is horrifying. But worst of all it's true – it's happening all the time. Produced by Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Alice Henty, Rachel De Leon, Amanda Pike, Nancy Schwartzman. Reviews remind us, "all of this should rattle us and move us..." // Continue Reading ›...
- 4/27/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Victim/Suspect is a new true crime documentary directed by Nancy Schwartzman.
Investigative journalist Rae de Leon travels nationwide to uncover and examine a shocking pattern: Young women tell the police they’ve been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they’re charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them.
Release Date
May 23, 2023
Where to Watch Victim/Suspect Powered by JustWatch
La entrada ‘Victim/Suspect’ (2023), Upcoming True Crime on Netflix, May 23 se publicó primero en Martin Cid Magazine.
Investigative journalist Rae de Leon travels nationwide to uncover and examine a shocking pattern: Young women tell the police they’ve been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they’re charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them.
Release Date
May 23, 2023
Where to Watch Victim/Suspect Powered by JustWatch
La entrada ‘Victim/Suspect’ (2023), Upcoming True Crime on Netflix, May 23 se publicó primero en Martin Cid Magazine.
- 4/27/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, a trailer and release date have dropped for Nancy Schwartzman’s latest doc Victim/Suspect. As with her previous effort Roll Red Roll, the subject of sexual assault—and the gross mishandling of these cases by police and the judicial system at large—is central to the film. Per the film’s official synopsis: Victim/Suspect chronicles journalist Rae de Leon’s investigation into a disturbing pattern: young women report sexual assault to the police but instead of the perpetrators being brought to justice, the women are arrested for filing a false report. Working for The Center for Investigative Reporting, de […]
The post Trailer Watch: Nancy Schwartzman’s Victim/Suspect first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Nancy Schwartzman’s Victim/Suspect first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/27/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, a trailer and release date have dropped for Nancy Schwartzman’s latest doc Victim/Suspect. As with her previous effort Roll Red Roll, the subject of sexual assault—and the gross mishandling of these cases by police and the judicial system at large—is central to the film. Per the film’s official synopsis: Victim/Suspect chronicles journalist Rae de Leon’s investigation into a disturbing pattern: young women report sexual assault to the police but instead of the perpetrators being brought to justice, the women are arrested for filing a false report. Working for The Center for Investigative Reporting, de […]
The post Trailer Watch: Nancy Schwartzman’s Victim/Suspect first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Nancy Schwartzman’s Victim/Suspect first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/27/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Rae de Leon discovered a disturbing pattern while working as a reporter at the Center for Investigative Reporting. It seemed that, nationwide, there was a pipeline from women reporting sexual assault to the police to criminal charges made against them.
Director Nancy Schwartzman follows de Leon’s solo investigation in her Netflix documentary feature “Victim/Suspect,” a film that unveils how policing across the U.S. enables law enforcement to turn survivors of sexual assault into accused criminals.
Leon and other journalists use video and audio footage of police interrogations, firsthand accounts from these young women and interviews with legal experts to get a better sense of where potential flaws in the police system may lie. “Victim/Suspect” premiered this year at Sundance Film Festival and will be released on Netflix on May 23.
Schwartzman’s documentary debut, the Peabody nominated feature “Roll Red Roll,” follows a similar beat, investigating a sexual assault...
Director Nancy Schwartzman follows de Leon’s solo investigation in her Netflix documentary feature “Victim/Suspect,” a film that unveils how policing across the U.S. enables law enforcement to turn survivors of sexual assault into accused criminals.
Leon and other journalists use video and audio footage of police interrogations, firsthand accounts from these young women and interviews with legal experts to get a better sense of where potential flaws in the police system may lie. “Victim/Suspect” premiered this year at Sundance Film Festival and will be released on Netflix on May 23.
Schwartzman’s documentary debut, the Peabody nominated feature “Roll Red Roll,” follows a similar beat, investigating a sexual assault...
- 4/27/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Women Victimized Twice for Reporting Rape — Nancy Schwartzman spotlights Rachel de Leon’s investigation of biased police procedures dealing with sexual assault victims in Victim/Suspect, presented at the 45th Annual Sundance Film Festival. Ms. Schwartzman’s documentary, Victim/Suspect, examines the heinous consequences of reporting sexual assault to police with unflinching scrutiny. The most profound revelation in this [...]
Continue reading: Victim/Suspect (2023): Documentary Spotlights Poor Police Response for Rape Victims but Only So Far...
Continue reading: Victim/Suspect (2023): Documentary Spotlights Poor Police Response for Rape Victims but Only So Far...
- 3/9/2023
- by David McDonald
- Film-Book
Guests will include Wim Wenders, Joan Baez, Nathan Fielder.
The 20th anniversary edition of Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (Cph:Dox) includes more than 200 films, of which over 100 are world premieres – the most ever at a single edition of the festival.
The festival will screen 61 titles across five international competition sections: New:Vision, F:Act, Nordic:Dox, Next:Wave and the previously announced Dox:Award titles.
Scroll down for the full list of competition titles
46 of the 61 competition titles are world premieres, with 10 international premieres and five European debuts.
Films directed by women make up 47% of the lineup, with men represented on 38%. Ten percent...
The 20th anniversary edition of Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (Cph:Dox) includes more than 200 films, of which over 100 are world premieres – the most ever at a single edition of the festival.
The festival will screen 61 titles across five international competition sections: New:Vision, F:Act, Nordic:Dox, Next:Wave and the previously announced Dox:Award titles.
Scroll down for the full list of competition titles
46 of the 61 competition titles are world premieres, with 10 international premieres and five European debuts.
Films directed by women make up 47% of the lineup, with men represented on 38%. Ten percent...
- 2/21/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Late in the Netflix documentary “Victim/Suspect,” a police detective sits across from a journalist. When they meet, the Center for Investigative Reporting journalist Rachel de Leon has been her working for three years on a project about women who, having reported their sexual assaults, are then arrested, charged and in some cases sentenced for “false reporting.” It is her first solo project, and director Nancy Schwarztman (“Roll Red Roll”) hews to de Leon as guide and protagonist.
Bridgeport, Conn., Detective Walberto Cotto Jr. turns out to be the only law enforcement officer involved in such a case to agree to speak with de Leon and on camera for the documentary. He is also the only investigator who admits to employing deceptions or “ruses” to turn a suspect.
In 2016, Nikki Yovino, an 18-year-old student at Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, reported that two college football players pulled her into a bathroom...
Bridgeport, Conn., Detective Walberto Cotto Jr. turns out to be the only law enforcement officer involved in such a case to agree to speak with de Leon and on camera for the documentary. He is also the only investigator who admits to employing deceptions or “ruses” to turn a suspect.
In 2016, Nikki Yovino, an 18-year-old student at Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, reported that two college football players pulled her into a bathroom...
- 2/8/2023
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
The following article includes references to sexual assault and self-harm.
Netflix has emerged as the king of true crime documentaries and docuseries in recent years, but the streaming service has never done anything quite like "Victim/Suspect." This isn't a case about a horrific crime getting solved, or even the history of some remarkable case — rather, this feature-length film is an investigation into certain police precincts and their unimaginable cruelty and indifference towards young victims of sexual assault.
Rae de Leon, a journalist working at The Center for Investigative Reporting, discovered an alarming trend: women being splashed across news sites, painted as "liars" and "criminals" for "falsely" claiming to have been the victim of sexual assault. This didn't sit well with the young reporter, so she set out to find the truth. What she found was honestly not particularly surprising, but deeply distressing all the same.
Director Nancy Schwartzman follows...
Netflix has emerged as the king of true crime documentaries and docuseries in recent years, but the streaming service has never done anything quite like "Victim/Suspect." This isn't a case about a horrific crime getting solved, or even the history of some remarkable case — rather, this feature-length film is an investigation into certain police precincts and their unimaginable cruelty and indifference towards young victims of sexual assault.
Rae de Leon, a journalist working at The Center for Investigative Reporting, discovered an alarming trend: women being splashed across news sites, painted as "liars" and "criminals" for "falsely" claiming to have been the victim of sexual assault. This didn't sit well with the young reporter, so she set out to find the truth. What she found was honestly not particularly surprising, but deeply distressing all the same.
Director Nancy Schwartzman follows...
- 1/27/2023
- by Sarah Milner
- Slash Film
While “Victim/Suspect” has touched audiences across Park City following its Sundance screening, director Nancy Schwartzman hopes the documentary translates into real change through a federal mandate against deceptive evidence in sexual assault cases.
“We hope this film can awaken an understanding that deceptive evidence as a tactic should no longer be allowed in police departments,” Schwartzman told TheWrap’s Executive Editor Adam Chitwood alongside film’s subjects Rae de Leon, Emma Mannion, Dyanie Bermeo and Carl Hershman during a conversation at TheWrap’s Portrait and Video Studio at The Music Lodge. “There’s a way we hope this can push a federal agenda, possibly, to really mandate that this go differently, that if you’re investigating a sexual assault, you do it thoroughly before closing it and deciding that it’s false and arresting them.”
The documentary shines a light on the exploitative practice known as deceptive evidence, in which...
“We hope this film can awaken an understanding that deceptive evidence as a tactic should no longer be allowed in police departments,” Schwartzman told TheWrap’s Executive Editor Adam Chitwood alongside film’s subjects Rae de Leon, Emma Mannion, Dyanie Bermeo and Carl Hershman during a conversation at TheWrap’s Portrait and Video Studio at The Music Lodge. “There’s a way we hope this can push a federal agenda, possibly, to really mandate that this go differently, that if you’re investigating a sexual assault, you do it thoroughly before closing it and deciding that it’s false and arresting them.”
The documentary shines a light on the exploitative practice known as deceptive evidence, in which...
- 1/24/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
After growing up on a steady diet of “Law & Order: Svu,” Dianey Bermeo wanted to be like Olivia Benson, helping victims of sex crimes by bringing their assailants to justice. She gave up on that dream after police investigators in her college town failed to find the man who she said impersonated an officer and sexually assaulted her. She wasn’t disillusioned because the police’s investigation hit a dead end — in fact, the case was closed.
Continue reading ‘Victim/Suspect’ Review: In Netflix’s New Crime Doc, Accusers Become The Accused [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Victim/Suspect’ Review: In Netflix’s New Crime Doc, Accusers Become The Accused [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/24/2023
- by Lena Wilson
- The Playlist
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Netflix releases the film on its streaming platform on Tuesday, May 23.
If anything, Nancy Schwartzman’s “Victim/Suspect” too calmly lays out its case over the course of a tight 90-minute running time. The “Roll Red Roll” filmmaker is again taking on the topic of sexual assault in America with her latest film, which follows investigative reporter Rachel de Leon as she unspools tale after tale of alleged sexual assault victims suddenly, horribly being turned into suspects when the very cops meant to investigate their allegations accuse them of faking all of it. Even worse: They are then charged with a litany of crimes, fully completing the cycle from, yes, victim to suspect.
It’s the kind of story that should make viewers rage — at the cops, the system, the world — but Schwartzman sidesteps emotion to cede her story to de Leon,...
If anything, Nancy Schwartzman’s “Victim/Suspect” too calmly lays out its case over the course of a tight 90-minute running time. The “Roll Red Roll” filmmaker is again taking on the topic of sexual assault in America with her latest film, which follows investigative reporter Rachel de Leon as she unspools tale after tale of alleged sexual assault victims suddenly, horribly being turned into suspects when the very cops meant to investigate their allegations accuse them of faking all of it. Even worse: They are then charged with a litany of crimes, fully completing the cycle from, yes, victim to suspect.
It’s the kind of story that should make viewers rage — at the cops, the system, the world — but Schwartzman sidesteps emotion to cede her story to de Leon,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
For the past several years there have been countless reportings of injustice on the part of American police forces, which for too long and too often have acted with impunity. Documentation — through filmmaking and journalism — have exposed years of this abuse of power, be it racial, sexual, or otherwise.
Nancy Schwartzman’s searing new documentary “Victim/Suspect” exposes yet another new cruelty: instances in which police forces have forced an alleged sexual assault victim to confess to fabricating their attack and pressing charges against them.
Schwartzman’s documentary focuses on reporter Rachel “Rae” de Leon’s investigation into these police-coerced confessions through her work at the Center for Investigative Reporting. In the process of uncovering the real stories behind these false confessions, she speaks with several young women, focusing on Emma Mannion, a former student at the University of Alabama, as well as Nikki Yovino, who faced jail time for her false confession,...
Nancy Schwartzman’s searing new documentary “Victim/Suspect” exposes yet another new cruelty: instances in which police forces have forced an alleged sexual assault victim to confess to fabricating their attack and pressing charges against them.
Schwartzman’s documentary focuses on reporter Rachel “Rae” de Leon’s investigation into these police-coerced confessions through her work at the Center for Investigative Reporting. In the process of uncovering the real stories behind these false confessions, she speaks with several young women, focusing on Emma Mannion, a former student at the University of Alabama, as well as Nikki Yovino, who faced jail time for her false confession,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Fran Hoepfner
- The Wrap
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