AFTER THE SILENCE WAS BROKEN

The life of Marie-Luisa Purkrábková, studying to be an actor at DAMU in Prague, turned upside down after she made public anonymized testimonies of sexual harassment and abuse of power at the school. Her performance and subsequently founded initiative YOU DON’T! HAVE TO ENDURE IT unleashed a wave of testimonies of similar cases at many other institutions in Czech academia.

To defend her actions in front of others, Luisa had to become an activist and spokesperson for the topic that had already inflicted her with the deepest wounds. She left the world of acting and took on a new, unexpected role, which, due to how demanding it was, coupled with the demand of the outside world, led her to burnout.

The documentary follows Luisa one year after the performance as she struggles to leave this role and find herself again. Thanks to the close relationship between the protagonist and the director, the film delivers an unusually visceral account of the consequences a victim of sexual harassment must face if they decide to speak up.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. English friendly.