Cusp has been awarded the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award. What an incredible first film for
The 51 Fund about to break out with!!
As there was a before and after 68, there will soon be a before and after CUSP. The floor was given to American teenage girls living in an ageless patriarchy and hero worship. This worship is
overwhelming for men: it is for them a weight and a responsibility above the human, which is why it often drifts towards incomprehension and violence. It is all the more so for girls and women
who suffer from this toxic masculinity.
How could CUSP not have won the Sundance Special Jury Prize? This documentary is moving, intimate, frightening and shocking as the girls tell the stories of the assaults they have suffered. CUSP
is an awareness of the three teenage girls Aaloni, Autumn and Brittney: as they tell their stories, they realize how much what they have experienced and are experiencing is not normal. CUSP is a
hope: the future is open, this world is not fixed, it can be changed, CUSP is proof of this. The rhythm of the film is perfect, the photography very beautiful, the capture of the girls' intimacy
with each other, very touching.
In the midst of a masculine and toxic world, girls are overflowing with femininity in the best sense of the word: understanding, love, compassion, protection of each other.
Beyond the colors, the trends, CUSP makes us think long after the film is over, and that's what's interesting. Neither weepy nor miserable, but raw and tender, hard and soft, ugly and beautiful,
full of hope for those who know how to watch it.
Love exists. It is often, and in many places on earth, under attack. After CUSP, it will be claimed again with tenfold strength. Generosity, daring, contrasts, beautiful passions, a sense of
humanity, this is what makes you want to stand up. We must find a new vision of the world and of human beings - men and women - to live differently.
"We wanted the film to feel as vibrant and energetic as the girls are," say Isabel
Bethencourt and Parker Hill the two women directors. Well, it is, and I am very
honored and proud to be part of this adventure!
Gabrielle Dubois