Film producers discuss date rape, fraternities and college feminists

Last night's free screening of the feature film "A Reason To Believe" offered big-name stars, name-brand bands and huge amounts of drugs, alcohol and sex. But you had to find the film first. Although over 250 people initially came to watch the independently-produced film, the numbers dwindled after the location was moved twice due to technical difficulties. Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape presented the film and Connaissance and the Social Planning and Events Committee Film Society co-sponsored the event. [See photo, page 8.] "There was an amazing turn-out and a million technical difficulties," said STARR representative Brigette Wolf, a Wharton senior. Although the film -- which has not yet been commercially released -- focused on acquaintance rape on college campuses, it also touched upon fraternity life, drugs and alcohol. A discussion session with the co-producer Ged Dickerson and the movie's writer, director and co-producer Douglas Tirola, followed the screening. Dickerson and Tirola answered questions about the film's presentation of acquaintance rape. They also advised aspiring filmmakers on how to break into the industry. College sophomore Nicole Weiner questioned the film's portrayal of the campus women's center as an aggressive organization. In the film, the leader of the women's center leaks a fully-detailed description of the victim's trauma to the school newspaper after a fraternity brother commits acquaintance rape against the student. Tirola said he included the feminist's breach of confidence to represent the significance of the group as compared to that of the individual. "She had missions and goals of her own," he said of the center's leader. "She was trying to do something for the group and was not as much working for the individual. I think the feminist character was freakin' great. She had a goal and she went right for it." Although STARR organized the event to reach groups that they normally could not reach, such as sororities and fraternities, Jody Gold a 1992 University graduate and STARR advisor, said the organization disagreed with the women's center's role in the film. "I disliked the portrayal of the woman's center in the movie," she said. "The Penn women's center is there to council men and women and they never would pressure anyone to come foreword. "It is very important that survivors make their own decisions and to give the power back to the survivor," Gold added. Tirola also spoke about the representation of "frat boys" in the film. He said the film does not stereotype or bash fraternities. The two scenes, besides the rape scene, that portrayed fraternities negatively were included to prove a point, he said. One of the scenes shows "frat boys" informally sharing their sexual exploits. In another scene, the president of the fraternity highlighted in the film reads off a tally of the fraternity brothers' sexual feats of the night. He said the purpose of the two scenes is to present informal sexual boasting as equally damaging as a formal competition. Although the three scenes did portray fraternities negatively, Tirola said the brothers' dialogue presented them in a positive light. "At the end they were articulate," he said. "The guy who was the biggest neanderthal had an articulate speech at the end. Even the rapist is articulate in where he is coming from." Tirola added that he does not view the fraternity's use of drugs and alcohol as negative stereotyping.

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