The actress Anna Kendrick she dedicated herself to directing for the first time and decided to donate the profits from his film Woman of the Hour to associations that support victims of abuse and violence. This decision reflects his discomfort in accepting money for a project that tells a story story based on true crimes.
The film, released on Netflix, is based on the story of Rodney Alcalaa serial killer who was on a popular TV dating show in the 1970s, The couples gamewhile he was involved in a series of ferocious and horrific murders (estimated to be more than 130).
Alcala, in fact, he lured defenseless girlsraped them repeatedly and then photographed them in agony. Not happy, he revived them several times before killing them. This all went on for years due to a rough management of the situation by the police who they ignored most of the reports and also complaints from those who had tried to denounce Alcala by recognizing him on TV.
Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshawa contestant who took part in the program without knowing about Alcala’s dark past. Talking about the production process and reflecting on the ethical implications of the true crime genre, the actress declared:
Believe me, this was never a money making venture for me, because all the resources went into just making the movie.
Kendrick chose to omit scenes of graphic violence
However, after the rights to the film were sold to Netflix, the possibility of profit materialized. Kendrick confessed to having felt “disgusting” at the idea of profiting from the projectand that he immediately decided to donate his compensation to charities.
This sensitivity towards the victims and the moral implications of Alcala’s story was also decisive in the choice to allocate resources to two associations: RAINN (the National Rape, Abuse and Incest Network) and the National Center for Crime Victimsboth focused on providing support to survivors of violent trauma. Kendrick explained that it seemed like the least she had to do.
Woman of the Hour received positive reception, seeing over 23 million views in the two weeks following its release on Netflix. The film stands out for the attention dedicated to the victimswith Kendrick choosing to omit scenes of violence explicit to respect the pain of the people involved.
“Your imagination will be worse and worse in a certain sense” he explained, highlighting how the narrative respects the point of view of the women who, despite themselves, were linked to the story. A sensitivity that cannot and must not go unnoticed in a world too often focused on profit and very little on altruism towards those who really need.
