The Light of the Moon

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 – 7:30pm
USA 2017. Dir: Jessica M. Thompson. 90 min. DCP

VANCOUVER PREMIERE! The debut feature of Australian filmmaker Jessica M. Thompson, who now lives in New York, is a raw and revelatory film about the aftermath of a sexual assault, told entirely from the victim’s perspective. Bonnie (Stephanie Beatriz), a young architect in Brooklyn, is brutally raped by a stranger while walking home alone one night. Initially unwilling to disclose the attack even to Matt (Michael Stahl-David), her live-in boyfriend, the strong-willed Bonnie resolves to put it all behind her, and explains away the bruises on her face. But as her relationships start to crumble and her work suffers, the lingering repercussions of the rape are brought to the fore. “For those looking to understand the process of recovery, it’s hard to imagine a more comprehensive or sympathetic look at the challenge of surviving” (Teo Bugbee, New York Times). Audience Award for Narrative Feature, SXSW 2017.

Warning: Contains scene of explicit sexual violence.

Post-screening discussion with Val Reede and Katrina Topping.

Val Reede, MSW, RSW, is a Sexual Assault Counsellor in the Sexual Assault Services Program (SAS) for B.C. Women’s Hospital and Health Centre.

Katrina Topping, BSW, RSW, is a Sexual Assault Counsellor for WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre.

Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia.

REVIEWS

“Ultra-relevant. Here’s a film, written and directed by a woman, that throws into sharp relief one woman’s experiences of surviving sexual assault … Stephanie Beatriz delivers a masterful, considerate performance.”
Village Voice | full review

“It’s hard to imagine a more comprehensive or sympathetic look at the challenge of surviving.”
New York Times | full review