It Didn't Have To Be Worse

After Lilah is sexually assaulted by a stranger on the metro, she isolates herself from church and then her friends. Overcome with feelings of shame, guilt, and anger towards God, she dismisses her trauma as invalid since she wasn’t raped. She tries secular methods of processing her trauma, but is unable to find closure and continues blaming herself. Witnessing her friends’ faith, Lilah is compelled to return to church. She opens up to her pastor about what really happened on the metro. The pastor reassures her that her value in God’s eyes has not changed because of a decision that was taken away from her. He validates her trauma, stating that “It Didn’t Have To Be Worse” for her to be in pain, but emphasizes that she doesn’t need to carry that pain alone. Lilah chooses to rebuild her faith, diving into scripture and prayer, discovering the power of vulnerability with God, her friends, and herself.

  • Isabella Koontz
    Director
  • Isabella Koontz
    Writer
  • Kajwan Alavi
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Christian, Drama
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 6, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - George Mason University
Director - Isabella Koontz