FFGR
CLOSE TO HOME

Vanessa Roth, Alexandra Dickson
USA 2001 79 35mm Colour
Film description
Exploring a problem many wish to hide far from view, the film allows an audience to confront the disturbing subject of child sexual abuse, both an uncomfortable and taboo topic, and exposes the complexitites that surround this heinous crime. Focusing on five cases from different parts of the country, the film permits the subjects to tell their stories in their own words. We meet two resilient young sisters who were abused by a family friend while in his care. Then there is a professional hockey player, who, along with hundreds of other teenagers, was molested by his nationally renowned coach. A young woman talks about the fact that, years later, she is still not ready to confront her abuser for fear of the ramifications for her family. Footage from a caseworker’s interview with a very young girl describing her abuse by her father is harrowing. The film appropriately demystifies the predator by including scenes from a convicted sex offenders’ group therapy session. The men describe their motivations and the means by which they methodically gained access to their victims. The film reveals how calculating and cautious they are to reduce their chances of being caught.






