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JACQUELINE ELYSE ROSENTHAL
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LOGLINE
After collegiate Valerie Neumann's brutal assault and silencing from authorities, her rape kit becomes shelved, one of 100,000 forgotten rape kits known as the national rape kit backlog. Years later, she is given the opportunity to testify as the key witness in the U.S. Senate Hearings, but can she trust a system that has betrayed her? Based on a true story.
SYNOPSIS
In 2006, Cincinnati State senior Valerie Neumann was brutally assaulted and date-raped on her 21st birthday by a mutual acquaintance, Christopher. Her friends failed to intervene on her behalf.
The next day, she underwent the painful, yet valuable, scientific 4-6 hour medical examination to collect clinical evidence. She was told by the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) Nurse that the blunt force trauma to her body and symptoms were characteristic of date rape. The nurse cautioned her that many rape kits are collected, but not tested, contributing to the national rape kit backlog.
As she left the station, the police officer's words echoed in her head: "We know who he is; he's done this sort of thing before." Valerie remained optimistic and awaited a follow up phone call from the police.
Later that week, she was alerted that the perpetrator had hired an attorney and all information was privileged to the investigation. They would not be testing her rape kit until further notice.
The police refused to give her any absolution for two years. Valerie persisted, until the Kentucky DA left her a cold voicemail, refusing to test her rape kit. He said cases like hers were a waste of taxpayer money because many assault cases are "unwinnable."
Three years later, Valerie finds moments of solace as a volunteer at a Rape Crisis Center. She is visibly a shell of her former self. Her boss approaches her, with a life-changing opportunity: her appeal letter has been answered by a senator and they have selected her to give testimony as the key witness at the 2010 U.S. Senate Hearings to end the national rape kit backlog. She hesitates and turns the opportunity down.
Later that night, alone in her apartment, she searches Facebook to find her college friends are still friends with Christopher and he is visibly still making women uncomfortable in pictures. Valerie knows what she must do.
As she walks up the Senate steps, we hear her testimony begin. She sees the marble columns around her, sturdy—like she has grown to become.
In a tour de force, Valerie gives her testimony and repeatedly begs the question, "Why should I trust this system?" By the end of her testimony, she has stood up for the 100,000+ survivors like her, and given them her voice. However, the bill did not pass that day.
Fifteen years later, her kit remains untested…along with approximately 100,000+ other survivors still waiting for their day in court.
Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal . Writer & Director
Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal is entering the third capstone year of her MFA in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California and was named a 2021 United Nations Development Program Honoree for her film "For Them," the sole US Representative in a global competition. She strives to tell stories of humanity and unity, while advocating for the underdog. She currently assists director Robert Townsend, and previously assisted producer Jason Michael Berman, joining his company Mandalay Pictures as a summer development intern.
During her time at USC, her films "Til We Meet Again" and "Ma Petite Fille" have been officially selected at over 60 film festivals, including: Beverly Hills Film Festival, Pinewood Studios Mentorship Program, Green Screen Film Fest (Nominee: Best Film), WCA Feminist Media Festival, Cinema LA, Hollywood Verge Film Awards, Madrid Art Film Festival, Huntington Beach Cultural Cinema Showcase, and FISSFF.
Her directorial feature debut, "Karma," filmed in Europe and Southeast Asia, is coming soon, Summer 2023. She’s thankful to her mentors, her family, and the subjects of her films for their strength and vulnerability.
Jacqueline is a recipient of the Rock Hudson Memorial Scholarship, Muller Family Scholarship, a Mitchell Scholar, and a three-time member of the Dean’s List.
Robin Wang . Producer
Zhongyu (Robin) Wang is an award-winning director and screenwriter. He is now an MFA candidate in Film & Television Production at USC. He is the recipient of the Lemkau Family–Goldman Sachs scholarship, one of the most prestigious awards bestowed by SCA. To date, he has directed seven narrative shorts that are official selections at over fifty film festivals worldwide including LA Outfest, Urbanworld, Out on Film, Altanta, Outfest Fusion, NFMLA, Midsummer Scream Halloween Convention, as well as streaming platforms such as Dekkoo and RokuTV. His works have also been featured three times on Deadline.com. In Fall 2021, Robin was selected to direct one the three USC-sponsored Thesis projects. His new film, Wei-Lai, is currently in the festival circuit.
Marian D. Cook . Producer
Marian D. Cook is a former journalist and current USC student pursuing an MFA in film and TV production. She graduated from Spring Hill College in 2019, Summa Cum Laude and with honors, with a BA in Journalism. She’s been published over a dozen times, covering topics from local news to federal healthcare legislation. She’s directed, produced, edited, and shot (basically a one-woman show) a range of documentaries from plastic surgery to segregation in the church. And she is a recipient of the Autry D. Greer Media Service Award and Catholic Press Award. But she also has a passion for narrative film. She's currently focused her talents on producing, directing, writing, and editing strong, female-led stories, especially that of Latinas. Her latest projects include Pay My Bill, starring her mother and Maria Garcia, that deals with the everyday struggles of immigrants and the social pressures of assimilation; and Bad Hombrewood, a short documentary directed by Guillermo Casarin about Latinx representation in Hollywood, starring Phil Lord, Guillermo Del Toro, Lee Unkrich, Melissa Fumero, and a range of Latinx talent that demonstrate the beauty and diversity of the Latinx community, that also recently won Best Student Documentary at the American Pavilion at the 2022 Cannes International Film Festival.
Joshua Powell . Producer
Joshua Powell is an international filmmaker currently living in Los Angeles. He completed his MFA in Film and TV Production at USC in December 2021, and is working as a freelance writer/producer. While at USC, he wrote, directed, and produced numerous short films, including an award-winning horror short Thrall, Executive Produced the comedy pilot Aggie's Spirits, and he co-wrote and co-directed the Indie Series 'Best Audio Series' nominated podcast "Jack and Lou: A Gangster Love Story." He strives to bring history alive in his work, recognising the many fantastic stories and inspiration that come from different eras and cultures. He hopes to share some of those stories with his audience. Outside of filmmaking, he enjoys hiking, scuba diving, and backpacking.
Ann Nguyen . Associate Producer / 1st AD
Ann Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American writer, director, and producer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She recently graduated in Film and Television Production at USC's School of Cinematic Arts as a Jon M. Chu APAA Cinematic Arts Scholar. Ann has produced, assistant directed, and directed various short films, including the coming-of-age drama The Unreachable Star, featuring Tamlyn Tomita, about a child's perspective living in a Japanese internment camp; and the horror/thriller Swept Under, depicting the legacy of U.S. involvement in Cambodia, which premiered in New Orleans at the Overlook Film Festival. She is committed to advocating for greater representation in the entertainment industry through lifting up fellow underrepresented voices, particularly telling AAPI and LGBTQ+ stories.
Aslan Dalgic . Associate Producer
Aslan Dalgic is a writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles. In addition to his Turkish origins, most of Aslan’s childhood was spent in a variety of countries, including Switzerland, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Because of this, Aslan has gained a unique worldview and a profound appreciation of history and culture. Due to his love for immersive world-building, Aslan is drawn to period pieces, horror, and fantasy/magical-realism.
Eris Zhao . Director of Photography
Eris Zhao is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles. She received her BA at the University of Oklahoma in Film Production and Fine Arts. She is currently a second-year MFA candidate at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She has completed several narrative shorts that are official selections and winners at festivals including Asian Film Festival Los Angeles, DC short film festival, Clermont-Ferrand ISFF, Short to the Point, and Rolling Ideas. Eris is passionate about creating Asian characters with depth that are both meaningful and entertaining.
Josh Ginsburg . Composer
Born in Las Vegas and based in Los Angeles, Josh Ginsburg is a multifaceted composer and trumpet player. While pursuing his original voice as a hybrid musician, Josh draws influence from both his background as a composer and as a Jazz musician. Some of his biggest influences include John Williams, Michael Giacchino, and Jerry Goldsmith. Josh earned three degrees: a bachelor’s and master’s degree in jazz trumpet, and a master’s degree in Screen Scoring from USC. He has been a professional trumpet player for several years, and scored numerous films. He co-scored the TV movie Ten Truths About Love (Reel One Entertainment); scored award-winning short films Til We Meet Again (2021) and For Them (2021) that were directed by Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal; and worked in the music department on the MTV film The B*tch Who Stole Christmas.
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