Before #MeToo was a worldwide movement, there were two journalists at the New York Times who received a tip from an actress about a rape by movie producer Harvey Weinstein. That tip, and hundreds of hours of investigative journalism, led to the undoing and criminal convictions of the movie mogul.
“She Said,” a film based on the book by the same title, tells the story of journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and how the article they published in 2017 about the abuse of several Hollywood stars paved the way for a social reckoning as millions of women came forward with stories of sexual assault.
“Jodi Kantor was here in December and we had held a small event with her,” said Sally Tauber, Peace House director of development. “And she points out that she wasn't really trying to take Harvey Weinstein down. She was attempting to investigate his crimes and hey, she's an investigative journalist. She was able to gain the trust of many of the stars in Hollywood and they told her their story. And that's really what happened.”
Emma Zevallos is prevention and education awareness director at Peace House, a domestic violence shelter in Park City. She said the journalists in the film helped change the way survivors see themselves and tell their stories.
“I believe more people are open to reporting and speaking up about this after the #MeToo movement,” she said. “So yes, there's more people that are less scared to report and you know, accessing services but we still have barriers.”
Although Kantor and Twohey’s work led to widespread use of the term #MeToo, it was actually coined in 2006 on social media by sexual assault survivor and activist Tarana Burke.
Peace House in collaboration with Park City Film and sponsored by Utah Film Studios will screen “She Said” next week with a panel discussion following the film.
Zevallos said the panel will include Liliana Olvera-Arbon, executive director of Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson.
“There will be two powerful voices in this panel. So you do not want to miss this panel," she said.
“She Said” will screen Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. at the Santy Auditorium located on the third floor of the Park City Library at 1255 Park Ave.
Admission is free and counselors will be on hand for support.
If you or anyone you know is in crisis, the Peace House hotline is 1-800-647-9161. It available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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