In both the theatre and film industries, intimacy might be needed between two or more people to add to the story. Whether it’s a fight, sex, or abusive scene, the actors need to know straight away if there is going to be any physically intimate scene and what those scenes will entail. I recently attended a workshop led by intimacy and fight director Yarit Dor. She invited us to explore, as directors, performers, and stage managers, to think about permission and consent in the film industry. Permission is when the film-maker allows the actor to touch another actor in a certain place or way. Consent them saying yes, you may touch me in a certain place and I will feel comfortable doing so. Not only the receiver needs to give consent to the touching, the person who is touching them does also. Our body is our body and nobody should be able to control who you touch or who touches you in intimate places for the sake of art. Nobody should feel like they have to agree to something just because someone of a higher power tells them to; no film or performance is that important. “As actors, we’re expected to be very comfortable with touching and being touched in any way. But the truth of the matter is that a stranger is still a stranger, and getting touched still sends off reactions in your body and mind that you have no control over.” (Richardson, 2016) Nobody should have the rights to touch anybody in intimate places, even if it is needed for a job. No pay check is worth that.
This situation has been around for years, film-makers have felt like they can control actors. The #MeToo movement has helped bring the situation forward. People are now speaking out and standing up for themselves and co-stars over controlling film-makers. One of the moments that has been brought up by the movement explains how they experienced the domineering permission. Actress and model Cara Delevingne wrote about her experience on Instagram with director and producer Harvey Weinstein and giving someone else permission to touch her: “He then invited me to his room. […] At that moment I felt very powerless and scared but didn’t want to act that way hoping that I was wrong about the situation. When I arrived I was relieved to find another woman in his room and thought immediately I was safe. He asked us to kiss and she began some sort of advances upon his direction.” (@caradelevingne, 2017). Consent should be important, no matter what the situation. Actors shouldn’t feel the need to do something just for a job or to please someone who could give them a job. No film-maker, choreographer, or co-worker “cannot make you consent to anything, they can only ask if you do. You have the right to say “no” or offer an alternative action if the touch crosses a personal boundary.” (Intimacy Directors International). The #MeToo movement has brought this situation to the eye and seeing how many film-makers has mistreated their actors when they haven’t consent to situations. “Accepting a role doesn’t automatically imply consent for specific actions.” (Intimacy Directors International) just because somebody hired you, and gave you a job, does not mean they get to control your body. Your body is your body, and nobody should touch it without your consent.
Bibliography
Delevingne, C. (2017) [Instagram Post] Available from https://www.instagram.com/p/BaHc485FRVx/?hl=en [Accessed March 20 2018]
Kantor, J. and Twohey, M. (2017) Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades. [Internet] Available from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0&mtrref=money.cnn.com [Accessed March 20 2018]
Intimacy Directors International (n/a) Pillars of Safe Intimacy Rehearsal Practices for Stage Performers [Internet] Available from https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/dddf6e_88580cce4eaa42dcbce3f711bad67834.pdf [Accessed March 20 2018]
Peacock, A. (2016) Directors shouldn’t abuse actors for the sake of ‘brilliant’ art. [Internet] available from https://theestablishment.co/directors-shouldnt-abuse-actors-for-the-sake-of-brilliant-art-8f2fc975c7a5 [Accessed March 20 2018]
Richardson, S. (2016) Asking for Consent in Theatre [Internet] Available from https://www.intimacydirectorsinternational.com/single-post/2016/10/27/Asking-for-Consent-in-Theatre [Accessed March 19 2018]
Simon, D. and DiGiacomo, J. (2017) Report: Women accuse Hollywood director James Toback of sexual harassment. [Internet] Available from https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/23/us/james-toback-sexual-harassment-allegations/index.html [Accessed March 20 2018]