Grace

Kathleen Hulka

Kathleen Hulka

Animation
Short Film

More About Grace from Director & Producer Kathleen Hulka

The story follows the lives of three women: a young aspiring ballerina, a twenty-something career woman and an elderly grandmother as they all become victims of rape. The original composition by Nathan Terry conveys the power and pain of the film without the need for dialogue. Grace is a tribute to the female spirit and its ability to triumph over violation, betrayal and disrespect.

After a number of close friends confided in me the details of their rapes and attempted rapes, I was moved to do some research on the prevalence of the crime. I was astounded to discover that one in six American women become victims of sexual assault! This disgraceful statistic is so much more than just a number. How many women are in your life? These women are your friends, sisters, mothers, wives, and daughters. One in six have been or will be violated. So many of them never report the crime because the majority know their assailant and fear the backlash of pursuing charges. Other women report the crime, but charges are never filed. A serious discussion needs to start in this country. Rape is a preventable crime and the first step is talking about the issue and being role models for friends, brothers and sons. Teach respect and tolerate nothing less.

I had the opportunity to spend my senior year of college making a short film. This three-minute opportunity for an audience’s undivided attention was, to me, a chance to bring light to this important issue and expose the pain caused by rape and sexual violation. At the same time, the film is meant as a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of beautiful, strong women that have made the decision to live their lives as survivors, not victims.

The most rewarding response to Grace has been from rape support group message boards where rape survivors have expressed their thanks for the creation of this film.

FILMMAKER BIOS

Kathleen Hulka, Director & Producer

Originally from central New Jersey, Kat received her BFA in Animation from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She began her professional career as the co-creator of the festival trailer for The 14th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival and interned with Scholastic Entertainment on the PBS Kids television show The Misadventures of Maya & Miguel. In 2006, she completed her second short film, Grace, which has been recognized by a number of festivals including Stash and Queens International Film Festival to name a few. She worked as a volunteer at the 2006 SIGGRAPH conference in Boston and as a compositor and After Effects animator at MaGiK World Animation in Easton, PA. Kat is currently working at ANImagic in NYC as a Flash Animator on a new PBS Kids show called Nate The Great, which is based on the children’s book series by Marjorie Weinman Sharma. Kat’s art is available to view at www.KatHulka.com.