Mom Told You So
A girl tries to go home after a party at night... as a videogame character.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Cécile Cournelle
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film with the initial idea of sharing a testimony:
"As a woman, here's what I feel when I walk home alone at night: every action I take is influenced by the fear of being assaulted by a stranger on the street. Like many other women, this is how my freedom is restricted, and this is why it's a problem."
It was necessary for me to make it because it isn’t something we can quantify with numbers or statistics, and it’s challenging to explain it to someone who hasn’t experienced it. It’s something we can only feel. Because most of the time (fortunately), we don’t get assaulted. We get home "safely".
Thus, the problem is not what happens. It’s the pervasive feeling of insecurity. The idea that assaults are mainly perpetrated by strangers in dark streets at night is deeply ingrained in us. However, unfortunately, while such assaults do happen, nine times out of ten, the perpetrator is known to the victim. Furthermore, in France anyway, assaults happen just as frequently during the day as they do at night. So why are we specifically warned about nighttime assaults?
Moreover, in our society, there's a tendency to blame female victims and absolve the aggressor. Women are often told to avoid rape by following certain rules: limiting their movements, not going out without a male companion, always appearing chaste, and remaining vigilant, for example. These rape myths are nothing but directives given to women, dictating their behavior and restricting their freedom of movement.
Therefore, I wanted to demonstrate concretely how all these directives, beliefs, and myths manifest on an individual level: the stress, the mental burden, the impossible pursuit of innocence, the loss of confidence, the internalized guilt...
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film if you want to experience what it's like to be in the shoes of a woman walking home alone at night. It helps you better understand what the women around you, whom you care about, may go through.
The short film is very immersive: I chose to narrate it as if it were a video game because it allows for a clear depiction of everything that could be going on in our heads during those moments.
And I believe that if you're a woman and you experience similar feelings, it can be cathartic and make you feel less alone. I also think it's a good tool for opening up conversation.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I wrote this film from my own intimate and shameful fear when I walked home alone at night. Ultimately, it's all about how society can restrict women's freedom. And how, maybe, solidarity, especially of women, can change things.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Honestly, they haven't changed much. In fact, the slam poetry heavily influenced the rhythm of the film during shooting and editing. Therefore, everything I had written in the script was realized during editing and creating special effects with my VFX supervisor, Adrien Maurizi.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Extremely positive. Many women have approached me to say, 'This is exactly what I experience,' and men have told me that they truly immersed themselves in the experience of being a woman, and they never realized one could feel such fear. This has led to discussions on the topic, where we've been able to share our experiences. It's exactly what I aimed for, so it makes me incredibly happy.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I remember this man in a comment who wrote that the short film was 'anti-men,' and it really made me wonder. Of course, that's not the case. Not all men are aggressors; the problem for us when we walk home at night is simply that we don't know who might be, so we're wary of everyone. But despite the numerous comments that people wrote in response to him, he didn't take a step to put himself in our shoes, and he stuck to his position... At that moment, and even though I already knew it, I thought to myself that my short film wouldn't change the world. It would simply provide keys to people who truly have empathy and who want to take care of others. Our solution was, for example, to be more supportive of women. Not to change those who, in any case, have no interest in changing.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would like my film to reach a broader audience and thus facilitate opening up discussion on this subject.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
As my film is self-produced, I need all those who could help me reach a larger audience with the film: therefore, journalists, distributors, festival directors (and even producers and sales agents) are more than welcome to write to me.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
As I mentioned earlier, I really hope it opens up a discussion on the subject and makes us reflect on how we educate girls and boys. And if I dare to dream a little, I would like it to make so much noise that politicians are forced to address this issue and put concrete and intelligent measures in place to prevent harassment and rape... Such as better training the police on these issues.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How can art can change our societies?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently working on a series (10x30') with my co-author, Jonas Hevouët, and I'm writing another slam poetry piece, for which I will also be directing the music video this year. And I'm also looking for a production company for another short film I've written.
Interview: March 2024
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Mom Told You So
A girl tries to go home after a party at night... as a videogame character.
Length: 7:50
Director: Cécile Cournelle
Producer: Cécile Cournelle
Writer: Cécile Cournelle
About the writer, director and producer:
CECILE COURNELLE is a director, spoken word artist and actress. In 2019, she became acutely aware of global warming and the threats of collapse. Embracing her role as an ecological activist, she also believes in the power of cinema to influence mindsets. In 2022, she directed her second short film, Mom Told You So, which won the Music Video Jury Award at the SXSW Film Festival.
Key cast: CAMILLE : Camille HERRERA, PARTY FRIEND : Audrey SLAMA, PARTY FRIEND : Noufel ELKAHIA, ALIMATA : Prudence Nira, ALEX : James Gaspar de Almeida, BÉATRICE : Véronique Desmadryl, SAMAR : Laura Bourdeau
Looking for: journalists, distributors, sales agents, film festival directors, producers, buyers
Facebook: Cécile Cournelle
Instagram: @cecile_cournelle
Hashtags used: #momtoldyouso #videogame #musicvideo #girlatnight #woman #women #harassment #cecile #cournelle #womandirector #streetharassment #feminist #feminism
Funders: ULULE
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Itinérances Festival/Alès, France - 23th and 24th of March