I believe the best kind of documentaries are the ones that expose an ongoing problem that may not be getting the media attention it deserves.  With so many of our headlines looking at the issues we face on foreign soil, there can be a lack of attention to the concerns that are right on our front doorstep. Director Kirby Dick has been a documentary filmmaker of acclaim for over three decades but especially in the last ten years he’s been shining a light on a diverse roster of subjects.

Receiving his first Oscar nomination for 2004’s Twist of Faith which focused on child abuse within the Catholic Church, Dick followed that up in 2006’s This Film Is Not Yet Rated, where he attempted to peel back the veil of secrecy surrounding the ratings board of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America).  Controversy surrounded 2009’s Outrage as it looked at the hypocrisy of Washington D.C.’s closeted gay politicians, and 2012’s Oscar-nominated The Invisible War detailed rape within the armed forces.

Now comes The Hunting Ground, a painful journey into the growing epidemic of rape on college campuses from sea to shining sea.  Interviewing dozens of survivors of sexual assault during their college experience, Dick goes further and suggests that many of these incidents are kept on the down low by college officials more interested in keeping the money flowing than guarding their student body.

As is the case with most of the work from this director, it’s pretty incendiary material meant to spark discussion.  Dick seems to be of the position that if he’s presenting the facts, it’s the onus of the individuals and collegiate organizations accused of sweeping reports of rape and sexual assault under the table to provide proof that he’s wrong.  Sadly, it seems clear that Dick and producer Amy Ziering have revealed a long-standing cover-up that’s remained unchallenged until now.

What makes this documentary so powerful and terrifying to watch is not the evidence that shows students have a better chance of being kicked out of school for cheating than raping a classmate but in the stories relayed by the victims themselves.  Mostly women (several men are interviewed but only briefly), it’s painful to hear their narratives of elation at being accepted into higher education turn into somber reflections of grief after being victimized not just by their attacker but by the school that should have protected them.

It’s a well-made documentary that has a lot of talking heads spouting facts and countless faces of survivors with stories to tell.  Dick devotes a nice portion of the film into following the efforts of two females that decided to take a stand and effect change within the collegiate system even if their administrators wouldn’t.  As they travel around and connect with other individuals in similar situations, their network of support grows.