“Why didn’t anyone stop it?” The consequences of a big crime in a small town is examined in Director Nancy Schwartzman’s documentary, Roll Red Roll.
The film reveals how the horrific assault of a teenage girl by members of the beloved Steubenville, Ohio high school football team ultimately garnered national attention, but resulted in bigger questions about the collusion of the teen and adult bystanders and the attitudes at the core of their behavior. The story acts as a cautionary tale for what can happen when adults look the other way and deny that rape culture exists.
Following the DGA Special Projects Documentary Series screening in Los Angeles on November 13, Schwartzman sat down with DGA Special Projects Documentary Series Subcommittee Co-Chair Ondi Timoner (Jungletown) to discuss the making of Roll Red Roll, which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.
Schwartzman is a documentary film director, producer and media strategist who uses storytelling and technology to create safer communities for women and girls. She directed the short films xoxosms – a love story exploring teenagers and technology, and The Line – which examines consent and was used by the White House for an impact campaign around sexuality. Roll Red Roll is her debut feature film.