Activist organization Fvck Rape Culture and a consortium of artists, filmmakers and women (and a few men) in Hollywood sat in silence Thursday night outside the Arclight Hollywood Cinemas in an attempt to bring awareness to the millions of unnamed victims of rape and sexual assault.
The candlelight sit-in vigil, announced the day before, was scheduled specifically to time with the first screenings of Nate Parker’s “Birth of a Nation.”
“FRC recognizes the need to hold space for those celebrating the advancement of people of color in Hollywood while continuing to fight for the victims of sexual assault and rape around the world,” said a statement from the organization.
While the members at Thursday’s sit-in chose to participate in silence – including not talking to press – Variety was able to speak with FRC founder Remy Holwick and model/writer Elyse Cizek, who was among the estimated 50 people in attendance.
“The goal tonight is to show that there is space in Hollywood to both celebrate a film that has incredible for promise for people of color advancing in Hollywood while simultaneously creating space for those that wish to honor victims of rape and sexual assault,” said Holwick.
Holwick said the timing of Parker’s “Birth of a Nation” in proximity to the Brock Turner case was a “really important” factor in their decision.
“Rape has been in the news for the last year in a way that it’s deserved for a long time,” she said, “but hasn’t had the exposure that it should have.”
Added Cizek: “There is a really big problem with the way rape is portrayed in film. I have a problem with it being portrayed in the way that it was (in“Birth of a Nation,”) written the way that it was, with an actress having to depict that happen to her, who also happened to be a survivor; and all of that done under the cloud of history, that’s a problem for me, for it not to be brought up or talked about. I want to start that dialogue.”
FRC was founded to respond to the Brock Turner case and specifically the recall for Judge Aaron Persky. This is their first action outside of the infamous Stanford case. The group said they were approached independently by a consortium of women in Hollywood asking for the event.
“We’re working on a case-by-case basis,” said Holwick. “This case sparked our interest because it represents such an interesting dynamic. Our event tonight is not meant to shame Nate Parker or shame the film.”
If they want to bring attention to rape, why not priest Bill and Hillary Clinton? He’s a rapist, and she helped him cover up his crimes for her personal power.
Will this make it past the ” moderator”?
Other activists in some cities will be taking pics of patrons entering cinemas playing this movie to post on SM questioning if they are supporters of rape.
condemning an african american sex offender (Parker) while supporting a caucasian one (Clinton)
I would like to see the same vigils to any Roman Polanski or Woody Allen film. Why single this guy out (rhetorical) And boycotting (meaning not going to see the film, not giving the film your money) is not the same as what these protesters are doing. This is all for publicity, to distract from the film. I would like to see these protesters protest every filmmaker, actor, musician, “celebrity” who has been accused of rape. Be consistent!
Why didn’t anyone do this when The Pianist was showing, or The Ghostwriter, Carnage, or Midnight in Paris, or Cafe Society, Blue Jasmine, or Vicky Christina Barcelona. Hmm….
Polanski and Woody Allen are jewish and therefore untouchable
“Working on a case by case basis.” Or seeing how much press you can get for yourself. Nate Parker is doing the best thing…. Ignorning the wingnuts who are crafting two idiotic goals: to celebrate Black achievement in film, but protesting the depiction of a brutal sexual assault on film. Hey, white slave owners raped their slaves. And how are you celebrating black achievement?
Let’s be honest. This is targeting Nate Parker, for his stupid asinine behavior, quite different from the Stanford swiimmer case. But I’ll bite. If you truly have a cause let’s start at high schools and protest the female teachers having sex with students and get probation instead of jail time. Oh, lemme guess. that’s someone else’s fight. Wingnuts.
I can only imagine after the vigil: “what are they saying about us on Twitter?”
Case by case? Or race by race?
The rape “activists” and bigots need to face the reality that some young women are promiscuous (white girls are not exempt).
I believe that Parker is innocent and I support him 100 percent.
If you’re serious about preventing rape, talk about something that actually did happen that night: Underage drinking.
Of couse you do, so sad if you have a daughter that runs into a nate parker.
i love the richard gere movie Arbitrage
i consider it Gere’s best work after Time Out Of Mind
i doubt i will never watch it again because it features the sex offender Nate Parker
No, but if you expect a young co-ed to get drunk and not get raped is naive. That’s like leaving your house open and not expecting some thief to steal your belongings. Feminism doesn’t mean common sense takes a holiday. This isn’t a perfect world, for either men or women.
” expecting a young co-ed to get drunk and not get raped is naive “
to the “person” who has the nerve to call himself THE THANKS WE GET FOR TAKING OFF THEIR CHAINS. TO THIS stupid mofo. first of all, your family just got here from one of those european ADJACENT countries where you were sleeping with goats in your cave-like dwelling somewhere which is why you all HAD to come here. first, for the american dream to get out of the poverty you all had to leave in the old country and second and mostly just to have someone else to look down on so that those better than you wouldn’t see you all for what you really are and then look down upon YOU ALL.
YOU never took any chains off anyone because your ancestors weren’t even here. second, even if you had been here, you all would have been lower than the overseers, poor trash eating dirt because you KNOW that none of your entire family would have been the rich plantation owner–slave owners. so stop with your bullcrap. you didn’t take any chains off anyone. you lying miscreant DEPLORABLE mofo.
Nate Parker is disgusting. Hopefully, his nasty little movie flops like a dead fish. DOA.
it wasn’t so long ago a rapist like Parker would be hanging off a tree instead of all this controversy
Oh this movie will certainly flop.
Your brain is DOA, Mason. You give idiocy a bad name.
b.s. go ahead and shame nate parker for what he did that he has STILL not taken responsibility for. he got off on a technicality for God’s sake.
You’ve got your head up your ass again, Spike. If anyone deserves to be shamed it’s you for appointing yourself as some kind of kangaroo court judge and jury. Somehow you think you know better than the 12 citizens who heard all the facts and returned a verdict of not guilty. And worse, you can’t help from smearing your presumptuous bullshit publicly. Do everyone a favor and get some professional help.
speaking of Spikes with their head up their ass.. the inside man director supports parker 100%
he even hosted a Q&A with him
Please explain what “technicality” got him acquitted on all four charges, including rape and sexual assault.