Linda was raped 15 years ago, but did not press charges. Since then she's tried everything to 'get over' the incident.
Linda is a norwegian filmmaker with a dark secret. She was raped 15 years ago at the age of 18, but did not report it to the police. Instead she's tried everything in her power to 'get over' it. She is still ashamed and is subscripted pills to help her forget. One day she has a breakdown and is committed to the hospital. She has lost her ability to walk. When the doctors finally concludes it to be connected with the trauma and diagnoses her with Post Traumatic Stress and Dissociative disbocia, Linda decides to change tactic and confront her problem instead. She decides to make a documentary about it.She visits a convicted rapist in prison whom she confides about her own rape experience. The rapist surpisingly encourages her to report her rape even though it might be a matter of statue of limitation. The lawyer of the rapist offers to become Lindas lawyer and together they decide to press charges. Suddenly this film is taking a very private turn where we follow her through 3 tough years, exploring rape as a social issue whilst fighting her own demons along with the frustrating buerocratic system.
In the documentary RAPED, she examines various aspects of rape, such as how rape victims are met by the system put in place to help them and how this system itself can be seen as yet another abuser. Is it possible to avoid defining yourself as a victim? Can life go on like before? Should you press charges or not? Through interviews with a convicted rapist, a male victim, a psychiatrist, a lawyer, her boyfriend and some good helpers, Steinhoff makes the case that the first step towards a more sensible approach to the question of rape is learning to talk about it.
