The Hunting Ground (2015)

Sexual assault on college campus is the subject of the
gripping documentary, "The Hunting Ground."

“The Hunting Ground” begins with blissful scenes of young people reacting joyously to acceptance letters from colleges and universities, institutions of higher learning they no doubt dreamt about attending, meeting new friends and sharing wonderful experiences together. Shortly later, however, the idyllic mood turns decidedly darker and more solemn, when more students, mostly women, begin tearfully recounting harrowing, nightmarish accounts of being sexually assaulted or raped on campus.

When it comes to memories gathered from college, these surely are not ones meant to last a lifetime. The fact that they do—and sometimes have tragic, heartbreaking consequences—is one of the haunting themes of “The Hunting Ground,” the furious, gripping and substantial new documentary from Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, the terrific team behind “The Invisible War” (which similarly examined sexual assault in the military), and “Outrage” (about scandal and political hypocrisy on Capitol Hill).

Combining victims’ testimony and bleak statistics, the movie paints a disturbing picture of shocking neglect and systemic abuse by universities. More than 16 percent of female students, the film explains, will experience some type of sexual harassment or assault during their time in college. While many victims are too ashamed and traumatized to even report crimes, those who do encounter an icy tangle of subterfuge, misinformation and victim-blaming from school administrators eager to sweep bad press—and its negative financial impact—under the rug.

The film targets popular and notorious fraternity houses where wild parties mixed with peer pressure and alcohol often lead to violent sexual crimes against women. Many universities have every reason to dismantle these victim farms, but they recoil because millions of dollars in annual donations come from alumni with loyal fraternity ties.

Then there are the front page stories, tales of wayward athletes shielded by powerful, lucrative sports programs. One of the film’s most provocative segments—the allegations of rape against star quarterback Jameis Winston while he attended Florida State University—unfolds like a thriller and will be familiar to anyone who has followed college football over the past few years. The victim became a target of vicious hatred by fellow students and the community around FSU; she dropped out of school in disgrace.

Meanwhile, at the center of “The Hunting Ground” is the heroic story of how two brave, smart students, Andrea Pino and Annie Clark—both victims of sexual assault while attending the University of North Carolina—filed a Title IX complaint against their school with the federal government. Using networking tools like social media and blogs, the case brought other victims across the country out of hiding while shining a national spotlight on the issue.

This is an angry, important chronicle about an ugly, epidemic scourge afflicting higher education. “The Hunting Ground” should be required viewing for all current and soon-to-be college students and their parents.