PARK CITY, UTAH Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Josephine, which won Jury and audience awards at the Sundance Film Festival, is a powerful drama about parents honestly having difficult conversations with their child. Because there is no right way to have them, the drama is in the attempts.
While playing in the park with her father, Josephine (Mason Reeves) witnesses a rape. As if explaining that to an 8-year-old wasn't hard enough, Josephine is the only witness, so is called upon further.
Explaining honestly what rape is, even without explaining sex, still triggers a unique way of processing as a child. Sometimes Josephine drops the word "rape" on the playground.
The attack provokes empathy in Josephine, asking her mother, Claire (Gemma Chan) if she was ever raped. Claire's answer suggests ambiguity.
Josephine is also too young to understand consensual sex. The violent form preempted her entire understanding of intimacy.
