Every 98 seconds, someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. One of the biggest barriers to justice for survivors is decades worth of untested rape kits. A brutal new PSA says that the untested rape kit backlog has the same effect as putting the victims themselves on the shelf.
In the aftermath of a sexual assault, a victim who choses to undergo an exhaustive and invasive forensic evidence collection examination—often referred to as a rape kit—expects the kit will be tested and the evidence used to prosecute the attacker. Victims and the public alike assume those kits are tested. But the stark reality is that there’s a backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits, sitting on shelves in warehouses for months, years, even decades while perpetrators remain free to commit other sexual assaults.
The national campaign, “Shelved,” was developed by new agency Invisible Man, founded by former Y&R creative Rachel Howald. It was created for Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation in partnership with Viacom Velocity. The PSA seeks to draw awareness to the rape kit backlog and to encourage legislative reforms to improve the handling of rape kits, to eliminate the backlog, and to ensure it never happens again.
In the haunting spot, a forklift carries a woman, the personification of her rape kit, past other long-shelved victims of every age, race and gender as she describes the details of her assailant. Her voice is broken but hopeful as she says “All those details plus the DNA, is enough evidence for you to catch him, right?…right?”
Shelved was directed by filmmaker and cinematographer Ellen Kuras via production house The Corner Shop. Kuras’ credits include lensing the feature Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and recent directing work on Ozark. Kuras is a three-time winner at Sundance for Best Dramatic Cinematography and her documentary feature film The Betrayal–which she directed and lensed–won an Emmy Award and earned an Oscar nomination.
CreditsClient Joyful Heart Foundation Agency Invisible Man (in partnership with Viacom Velocity) Rachel Howald, founder, art director, copywriter; Lisa Goore, executive producer; Niels Schuurmans, executive producer (Viacom Velocity); Tony Calandra, producer (Viacom Velocity). Production The Corner Shop Ellen Kuras, director; Anna Hashmi, exec producer; Jessica Miller, producer. Editorial Rock Paper Scissors NY Chris Mitchell, editor; Tania Mesta, assistant editor; Eve Kornblum, exec producer; Lisa Barnable, producer. Postproduction Eddie Reina, VFX/Flame; Sofie Borup, colorist; Alexandra Lubano, producer. Music “The Light” by The Album Leaf; Paul Greco, music consultant. Audio Post Sound Lounge Tom Jucarone, mixer.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More