Audrie & Daisy
Synopsis
In different parts of the country, two high school girls are assaulted at parties by boys they call their friends. Bullied online and at school in the wake of their assaults, each girl is driven to attempt suicide. AUDRIE & DAISY probes this societal trend of assault and bullying from the perspective of the boys involved, the girls who are speaking out publicly for the first time, and the wider communities who were torn apart as a result. Ultimately, the film is an exploration of truth, power, trauma and memory at a time when America's teenagers are coming of age in this new world of social media spun wildly out of control.
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As part of the Netflix release, the film will be making a national community tour, and is available for free to any campus or community organization interested in convening a school or public screening.
To host a free screening of AUDRIE & DAISY, complete this form or email audriedaisy@filmsprout.org.
The Filmmakers
Bonni Cohen Director/Producer
Since co-founding Actual Films in 1998, Bonni Cohen has produced and directed an array of award-winning films, including THE ISLAND PRESIDENT, INSIDE GUANTANAMO, THE RAPE OF EUROPA, and WONDERS ARE MANY among many others. She recently Executive Produced 3.5 MINUTES, which has its premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and will air this Fall on HBO. She also executive produced ART AND CRAFT, which premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. Bonni is the co-founder of the Catapult Film Fund.
Jon Shenk Director/Director of Photography
Jon Shenk is an award-winning director and cinematographer based in San Francisco, California. Most recently, Shenk directed and photographed THE ISLAND PRESIDENT, which won Best Documentary at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Shenk was the DP for the Academy Award- winning SMILE PINKI (2009) and won an Emmy for BLAME SOMEBODY ELSE (2007, PBS/EXPOSÉ). Shenk directed and photographed LOST BOYS OF SUDAN, Independent Spirit Award winner in 2004 and he co-directed and photographed DEMOCRACY AFGHAN STYLE (2004). Early in his career, he directed and photographed THE BEGINNING (1999), a chronicle of George Lucas’s STAR WARS: EPISODE I.
Richard Berge Producer
Richard Berge is an award-winning producer, writer and director based in San Francisco, California. For his work on THIE ISLAND PRESIDENT (2012), The Producers' Guider of America nominated him for Theatrical Producer of the Year. Other credits include THE RAPE OF EUROPA (producer, director and writer); and YESTERDAY'S TOMORROWS (producer and writer), SING FASTER (line producer).
Sara Dosa Producer
Sara Dosa is a documentary filmmaker based in San Francisco, CA. Most recently, she directed the Indie Spirit Award nominated THE LAST SEASON (2014), about two former soldiers-turned-wild mushroom hunters. Other credits include INEQUALITY FOR ALL (field producer, associate producer) and ELENA (co-producer), among others.
Festivals & Awards
Sundance Film Festival
"Audrie and Daisy, two high school girls in different towns across America, were sexually assaulted by boys they thought were their friends. Both girls experienced social media bullying and were stigmatized—and both attempted suicide. Tragically, Audrie takes her own life, but Daisy survives, and her story becomes a journey to keep living. By juxtaposing their stories and drawing connections between the two teenage girls, bold filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk illuminate the larger societal epidemic of sexual assault that has been exacerbated by today’s technologies. And rather than paint a simple picture, they also give voice to the spectrum of male perspectives involved in Daisy’s case: her assailants, the small-town sheriff, and her brother, who now works to change the next generation of boys.
Through the specificity of Audrie and Daisy’s experiences, insights emerge that can be extrapolated to the larger landscape. As Daisy learns Audrie’s story and joins a community of survivors, Audrie & Daisy sparks a vital conversation around breaking these cycles of stigma and isolation for teenage rape victims that has blown up in the face of social media hysteria."
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
"The stories of Audrie Pott and Daisy Coleman are tragically similar. Both teenage girls were sexually assaulted while intoxicated at parties and then harassed online, and both were blamed and stigmatized while the perpetrators went largely unpunished. The details of the two cases are contrasted and connected in this wrenching depiction of the ripple effects of social media in a culture that seeks to blame and discredit victims. Family, friends, and Facebook tell Audrie’s story, while Daisy provides a firsthand account of what she endured. Directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk also present exclusive testimonies by Audrie’s assailants and interviews with the mayor and sheriff of Daisy’s hometown. These perspectives combine to shed light on the shaming and sexism that too often stand in the way of justice for survivors of sexual assault."
Hot Docs International Film Festival
"For teenagers living in a digital world, assault and bullying exist in a constant 24-hour loop. Audrie and Daisy, two high school girls living in separate towns in America, were sexually assaulted by boys they knew and considered friends. Their assaults were documented and shared, and the girls faced public shaming in the aftermath, leading to devastating emotional costs. But the stories of these two girls go well beyond their particular incidents—theirs is the chilling reality of a modern age that cycles traumas from basement parties to Facebook posts. There's also incredible power in the stories of Audrie and Daisy, a power to speak publicly against such abuses and social trends. By giving voice to these girls and all those who've shared similar pains and consequences, a community of support and understanding is built. They are the voices that deserve to be heard the most." - Gabor Pertic
Reviews
“Powerful, well crafted.”
-Variety
“It is documentaries like this that make one wish there were a federal agency that could just step in, reward the filmmakers handsomely for their noble efforts and then ensure every child in the country sees this for free by the time they graduate from middle school.”
-The Hollywood Reporter
“Infuriating, heartbreaking and vital, AUDRIE & DAISY is required viewing.”
-The Guardian
“AUDRIE & DAISY is a stark portrait of a problem which is not in any way local, aberrant, or random. The problem is systemic.”
Outreach
To coincide with their Netflix release in fall 2016, the AUDRIE & DAISY launched a large scale community screening campaign, and worked with education and movement experts to produce an accompanying discussion guide and high school curriculum. They also built a network of partners with whom to engage, including this sampling of organizations with a focus on sexual assault and suicide prevention, survivor justice, and ending online harassment.
For more information on hosting a screening in your community, please email audriedaisy@filmsprout.org.
Outreach Resources
Film Discussion Guides
The AUDRIE & DAISY website is a rich, in-depth resource for people interested in engaging with the themes and issues at the heart of the film. The website features discussion guides and lesson plans for a variety of specific audiences and stakeholders.
Futures Without Violence
For more than 30 years, FUTURES has been providing groundbreaking programs, policies, and campaigns that empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children around the world. A leader in developing research based programs for youth and the adults in their lives, FUTURES is a key partner in creating the education materials that will allow Audrie & Daisy to become a resource for parents, coaches, and teachers.
The Audrie Pott Foundation
Founded by Audrie’s parents, Sheila and Larry, and led by her step-mother Lisa, The Audrie Pott Foundation focuses on the core values and interests in Audrie’s life to provide anti-cyber bullying presentations to schools, art and music scholarships to students, and grants for school therapists. The foundation has developed a large network in support of sexual assault and suicide prevention through comprehensive media campaigns and social media outreach.
SafeBAE
SafeBAE (Before Anyone Else) was founded by four young survivors of sexual assault -- Daisy Coleman, Delaney Henderson, Ella Fairon, and Jada -- and exists to spark change in the culture by addressing sexual assault and dating violence as early as high school. SafeBAE’s education and engagement resources include an educational video series, written and directed by the founders, a toolkit for knowing and accessing Title IX rights in high schools, and support for students to start SafeBAE squads in their communities.
PAVE
Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE) is a national, survivor-led organization that focuses on sexual assault prevention and creating a safe space for those impacted by sexual violence to heal from trauma. There are over two dozen PAVE chapters and affiliates in cities across the country, each dedicated to meeting specific needs of survivors and their allies in their communities.