This short film was created to expose the moral and logical absurdity of placing any blame whatsoever on the victim of a sexual crime.

We are introduced to a young women at a house party – dancing, flirting, drinking, having a good time. When she goes to the bathroom to fix her makeup, the story takes a sinister turn. The door closes and in a raw, visceral and heart-wrenching scene, the women assaults and then rapes herself.

The film poses us with the question: Who would do this to themselves? And then lands the idea that when you blame a victim, you are actually accusing someone of their own rape; which, of course, is preposterous.

South Africa has the world’s worst rape statistics. Rape culture has become normalised, and most South Africans feel a sense of helplessness. But many perpetuate the problem without realising it. A culture of victim blaming thrives here. It’s one of the main reasons why an estimated 1 in 4 rapes is reported, and why perpetrators feel so safe.

This is the launch film for #BlameNoMore, a call for change from Hype Magazine and The Tears Foundation. The goal? To help create a society where the victims of sexual violence have the support and confidence to speak out, and where perpetrators no longer feel so safe.

The film was released on Women’s Day, and soon sparked debate. We showed it to some of hip-hop’s loudest voices, who channelled their anger through Hype Magazine’s special Women’s Month issue. And #BlameNoMore soon became an important weapon in South Africa’s war on gender-based violence.

This film was always intended to be raw, visceral & hard to watch. It was important to convey the brutal reality of a sexual crime, in order to make the point that it is something nobody wishes upon themselves.

Considering the sensitivity of the subject matter, the film needed the most delicate of directorial touches. A heavy-handed approach could easily have resulted in the film coming across as crass insensitive and offensive.