Overview
One of the year's most confronting documentaries will be shown in select Australian universities starting early next week. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick, The Hunting Ground chronicles the endemic problem of rape on American college campuses. Combining harrowing personal accounts with staggering statistics – including a claim that as many as one in five American women will be sexually assaulted during their time in university – the film lays bare a horrifying culture of abuse, victim-blaming and institutional negligence.
An hour long version of the film will be screened at the University of Canberra on February 22, the Australian National University on February 24 and La Trobe University in Melbourne on February 29, March 4 and March 8. The complete 103 minute feature version will also be shown at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne on March 2. Nothing has been scheduled for Sydney or Brisbane as of yet, however universities and other interested parties can sign up to host a screening via the film's website.
The Hunting Ground Australia Project is also engaged with the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Human Rights Centre at UNSW on an independent survey "on the prevalence, reporting experiences and responses to sexual assault and sexual harassment in university settings." Unlike the United States, there is currently no comprehensive data on the rates of sexual assaults at universities in Australia, although a 2011 survey by the National Union of Students reported that one in ten female students had suffered sexual violence while at university.
The Hunting Ground has faced criticism from some journalists and college administrators, who have claimed it pushes an agenda and misrepresents statistics. The filmmakers have denied these claims on their website.
For more on The Hunting Ground, including information about screenings and how you can host your own, visit www.thehuntinggroundaustralia.com.au.