VIOLATION Video Interview: Madeleine Sims-Fewer And Dusty Mancinelli On Their Anti Rape-Revenge Film

Violation, the first feature by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, is one of the recent efforts that best subverts genre cinema, specifically the rape-revenge film.

When I had the opportunity to interview the writers/directors, I asked them about the different elements that make Violation such a unique and fascinating experience. It all starts with its style and mood, closer to auteur cinema.

Then we have the construction of the act of sexual abuse that will lead us to revenge. Violation reflects the reality of many cases that occurred in an environment of supposed safety and trust. The film also portrays what usually happens when women report sexual assault: they end up being questioned and their cases minimized.

The revenge itself is brutal, there are several strong images, but the intention is never to compete with the most explicitly violent cinema. Violation is an intelligently structured film, its nonlinear narrative brings several compelling notions, including the avoidance of an act of vengeance as the quintessential satisfying climax of the genre.

In addition to these themes, the filmmakers also shared their opinion on older rape-revenge exponents. Can films like The Last House on the Left, I Spit on Your Grave, Ms .45 or Thriller: A Cruel Picture have genuine feminist ideas?

You can watch the full interview with Sims-Fewer and Mancinelli below. Violation is now streaming on Shudder and on all major On Demand platforms and iTunes in it's native Canada.