Protest planned at Rio Theatre's screening of "Deep Throat"
Some Vancouverites are planning a demonstration outside the Rio Theatre this evening as it screens Deep Throat for the film’s 50th anniversary.
The outrage is over allegations from lead actress Linda Boreman (Lovelace on screen) that she was coerced into doing the film by her abusive husband and sexually assaulted during filming.
The actress rose to fame from her role in the 1972 film, which propelled pornography into the mainstream. The film’s premise is that the woman played by Boreman has her clitoris located in the back of her throat — and the movie follows her quest for pleasure.
But in 1980, Boreman released a memoir titled Ordeal recounting the abuse at the hands of her partner Chuck Traynor. Traynor allegedly beat Boreman, held her at gunpoint on occasions, and coerced her into doing the film.
In 1986, Boreman testified to the Meese Commission on Pornography.
“Every time somebody sees that movie, they’re watching me being raped,” she reportedly said. “It is a crime that movie is still showing; there was a gun to my head the entire time.”
The Rio Theatre is playing the film at 8 pm to mark the 50 years since its release, and is bringing late director Gerard Damiano’s children for a panel discussion. But some people disagree with the screening entirely.
“Why screen a film of a rape when the victim has spoken out saying it’s a film of her being raped?” Sexual Exploitation Education founder Tiana Sharifi said on TikTok.
@sexualexploitationedu #vancouver #yvr #vancouverbc #vancouverlife #rapeculture ♬ original sound – Sexual Exploitation Education
Vancouver Rape Relief, a crisis centre and shelter, is involved in organizing the rally.
“We want to offer those who do come to the screening a counter-narrative to the ‘celebration’ of the film. I think Linda’s words say it all,” Hilla Kerner with Vancouver Rape Relief told Daily Hive.
Damiano’s children and distributors of Deep Throat released a statement about the controversy Tuesday, saying the film features a strong female protagonist and her quest for sexual fulfillment.
They acknowledged Boreman suffered abuse at the hands of her husband before, during, and after her involvement in Deep Throat, but said her perspective on the film evolved over time.
“Many people have based their opinion on comments Linda made while she was being coached by anti-porn activists,” Gerard (II) and Christar Damiano said. “Later she openly rejected these groups, stating that they had ‘used’ her as much the porn industry had.”
The director’s children pointed out Boreman returned to the porn industry later in life and would autograph Deep Throat memorabilia.
“If the star of Deep Throat participated in the film against her will, we would NOT be showing it. If the film itself glorified or promoted misogyny, sexual violence, or violence of any kind against women, we could NOT stand behind it,” the Damianos said.
“The importance of the film cannot be denied. It inspired public discourse about sex and sexuality, challenged censors and censorship, changed the way laws about obscenity were written, and influenced how sex would be depicted on screen.”
The Damianos also pledged to delve into a discussion about the issues during their moderated panel discussion at the screening.
View this post on Instagram
Corinne Lea, owner of the Rio Theatre, has said she’s received death threats and threats of violence because of the decision to screen the movie.
“Their outrage comes from what they believe is in the film,” Lea said. “There is no reasoning with them. All we wanted to do was to create a safe space for everyone to enjoy a bit of sex-positive film history and have a thoughtful panel discussion afterwards.”
Rachel Fox, a senior programmer at the Rio, pointed out that Vancouver Rape Relief doesn’t have a completely sex-positive outlook. On its website, the organization is upfront that it supports the abolition of sex work and views pornography as something that controls and manipulates women’s sexuality.
Vancouver Rape Relief has also come under fire for being trans-exclusionary since some of its core services are only available to cis women.
“Misinformation has been going out and really riling people up,” Fox said. “They’re creating a situation of public outrage that needn’t be… We’re interested in having a conversation, we’re interested in examining content… and we believe people should be allowed to do that.”
Fox also noted partial proceeds from the screening are being donated to BC Coalition of Experiential Communities and US-based Old Pros.
With files from Daily Hive’s Daniel Chai
Follow Channels and Categories