WHISTLE is a 5 minute narrative short film based on personal experience that explores the blurred lines between play and aggression. It shows how young perpetrators learn to carry out harassment and how their victims learn to be silent, losing their voices in the process.
The film follows Jenny, an 8th grade girl, in her band class where she is harassed by her male peers. In the midst of practice, Jenny stays silent and attempts to fulfill her role in the band. Unable to concentrate, she is punished and forced to give up her voice (her instrument) to one of the perpetrators. Jenny’s plight represents the passive performance that young girls often must play as their abusers overstep them without consequence.
The story is told through Jenny’s perceptive but she isn't the only victim in the story. I also highlight how homophobic name-calling emerges as a means of asserting power over other students. The targets of homosexual name-calling and jokes feel compelled to demonstrate they are not gay or lesbian by sexually harassing peers of the opposite sex, perpetuating the harmful behavior preexisting in heterosocial dynamics.
This is not a tale of revenge - It’s a small, intimate portrait of a 13 year old girl existing in a patriarchal society. It’s a realistic story, not an idealistic one. I am eager to take a microscope to a much larger systemic problem, especially at this crucial time when sexual harassment has become more acknowledged on academic campuses, in our media, and in our power structures.
The film is based on a personal experience that I initially dismissed, though it was incredibly upsetting at the time. I failed to recognize the seriousness of these behaviors partly because teachers failed to address them. Most anti-bullying programs, teachers, and school officials fail to recognize that sexual harassment is a prevalent issue in even primary and middle school. I aim to address the dismissiveness of these kind of experiences in this short. In this “#Metoo” era we are calling out predators in positions of power, but we also need to teach the next generation intimacy literacy.
Although this is a personal story, the script is backed by research. I have worked extensively with students, teachers, academics, and other victims to portray the story as realistically as possible. They have helped me make the story a widely relatable and contemporary one.