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Girl on the Edge; a Powerful film about Healing from Date Rape

by Shannon Bradley Colleary

I’ve written extensively about escaping an attempted date rape in college in order to educate my daughters and other young girls about the red flags that might mean danger.

I realize, post Steubenville, that our girls are coming of age in a time where date rape is not only still a threat but, to add insult to injury, there is also the possibility of the crime being documented and disseminated on social media, creating a crucible of slut shaming and cyber bullying which has resulted in a recent spate of victim suicides.

That’s why when my friend and filmmaker, Jay Silverman, asked me to write about his new film Girl on The Edge, the true story of a close family friend who was date-raped at 14 and slut-shamed for it on social media, I said I’d be thrilled to help raise awareness for the film. (this is NOT a sponsored post)

The film follows heroine, Hannah, from her date rape and the social media bullying that followed, to her descent into drugs, alcohol and self-harm until her parents stage an intervention and send her to the real-life Uinta Academy, a treatment facility that uses equine psychotherapy, the use of horses, as one of their means to heal girls suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Have a look at the Girl on the Edge trailer, it boasts performances by Peter Coyote and sadly marks one of the last performances by the incredibly talented Elizabeth Pena:

Here’s just one of the glowing review of the film:

“Girl on the Edge is an authentic look deep down a precipice, not uncommon for teenagers navigating our increasingly complex society. It reveals how a horse, through its presence, sensitivity and language beyond words, can reflect the best in a person from the inside-out. Who ever you are, no matter how shut down or emotionally shattered, the horse meets you there, with no judgement, and this film portrays the beauty of this healing connection.”
~ Cassandra Ogier, CEGE. (Founder & Director of The Reflective Horse.)

My goal in writing this post for Jay is to create a groundswell of support for the film so it can find the distributor it deserves. It’s currently out to film festivals, but it would be wonderful if you could follow the film on social media and help me get the word out!

Follow Girl on the Edge on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. And be sure to share this post with friends who are parents. xoxo S Opt-in to Shannon’s newsletter HERE.