‘Tag, You’re It’ is a coming of age, sports-drama that tells a story of a high school team’s star rugby player witnesses the sexual assault of his best friend and is threatened with silence or lose his chance with the national team.
Inspired by the #MeToo and #timesup movements, ‘Tag, You’re It’ desires to talk about the stigma about sexual assault and how hard it is for victims to speak out. This is also a short film that was created as a proof of concept for the feature film on a shoestring budget with all elements completed on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
‘Tag, You’re It’ focuses on the reactions surrounding the sexual assault, as you don’t see the assault itself, and how not only the victim but those around her deal with the issue at hand. The film will explore the decisions we’re faced with at such a young age that will dramatically change the course of our lives. While the characters make horrible decisions to those looking into the situation, it reflects their decisions in that moment. “Tag, You’re It” deals with identity, self-confidence, family, societal placement, and sexual assault, which are key points that many struggle with at any age but more specifically those in a school based environment as students grapple with their future prospects and potential.
The audience will experience this through the three main characters — Elspeth, Xavier, and Guy — to gain as much knowledge of the situation as possible. There is no clear antagonist in a physical presence as each of the character’s make both good and bad decisions, reacting to the situation at hand.
A film like ‘Tag, You’re It’ has become especially relevant with the likes of the #timesup and #MeToo campaigns. These campaigns encouraged people to share their experiences of sexual harassment and assault and helped bring the thankful swift removal of a large quantity of men in positions of power, no matter the industry.
Now could not be a more pivotal time for a story like ‘Tag, You’re It’ to put the onus back on its audience to do something about sexual harassment and assault instead of sweeping it under the rug or hiding behind screens.
While this film was inspired by real events in my own experience high school and when I was raped, it’s main purpose is to get the audience to question not only the character’s but their own perception and action towards victims. Each character makes both horrible and good decisions based on their situations and equally represents multiple points of view, as much of the supporting cast do, also.
And while you don’t see the assault, it’s not something you need to. It’s about the repercussions of an event that would dramatically change the lives of not only those involved but those immediately around them.
While the truth is eventually uncovered in ‘Tag, You’re It’ and all lives are ultimately destroyed for better or for worse, again, it’s not about the rape. It’s about the character’s not about the situation, making it a heavily character driven story. And the journey’s that they go through, no matter how big or small the part. Every. Single. Element. Matters.
And everything is shown plain and simple without any sort of bias. The facts are presented and the character’s react, giving the audience the chance to make up their own minds as it comes to a cliffhanger of an ending.
And because of the subject matter, it has made the film that much harder to get made. Your support means everything, so please spread the word of the film as your assistance gives a voice to those who couldn’t speak up.
Website: facebook.com/TagYoureItFilm
Trailer: https://www.facebook.com/TagYoureItFilm/videos/1958256494504528/
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