A Short Film: Shattered Serenity (5 Powerful Stars)

Director(s): Onyx Keesha

Screenwriter: Mikel Sullivan

Genre: Drama

Cast:

Red Summer

Dred Carpenter

Camil Williams

"Legally, definitions of rape and sexual assault differ from state to state. Some states define rape as an act perpetrated by a man against a woman. Others use an inclusive definition of sexual assault that does not state the sex of the victim or perpetrator and that lists a range of behaviors such as penetration by object, fingers, or penis.” –Our Bodies Ourselves

I sat silently for a minutes after this film ended. There was little to no dialogue, one location, some screaming, and no mention of names, but I I managed to feel something. I felt violated, invaded upon, stripped of my rights as a woman, and out of control. I felt everything that the main character, Cheryl, felt. Here she was, in her home, the one place where she should always feel safe, now a victim to rape. She was to believe that the person she welcomed into her home “wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Here is something we don’t see on film every day, nor is it discussed. Keesha has produced a short, yet powerful film. In less than ten minutes, she managed to show a plethora of things: rape, safety, trust, fear, devastation, and alcoholism.

I applaud Keesha for being bold enough not only to film something so gruesome, but to share it as well. The level of discomfort while watching this film was very high and real, but necessary. Sometimes we need these graphic reminders that lesbianism isn’t all rainbows. I also feel that people outside of our community need to realize this too.

If this is simply a taste of what Ms. Onyx Keesha can do outside of acting in Between Women—the first time I discovered her—then I’m ready for all that she has in store. I’m speechless.

#drama #lesbian #shortfilm #onyxkeesha #empower