Twenty-Three Percent

Twenty-Three Percent explores the aftermath of rape and the importance of rape kits. Rape and sexual assaults do not end after the attack. People are forced to live with what has been done to them for years to come. The need to decide whether or not to get a rape kit done and whether or not to report. Getting a kit performed is important because it gives the necessary evidence to build a case but these cases are unfortunately infrequently successful. We need to support and believe survivors, we need change.

  • Michaela Salvo
    Director
  • India Downton
    Writer
    Minor Incident
  • Michaela Salvo
    Writer
    92 Seconds
  • Michaela Salvo
    Producer
    92 Seconds
  • Mia Laguna
    Key Cast
    "Survivor"
  • Maria Franco Ortiz
    Key Cast
    "Doctor"
  • Maria Franco Ortiz
    Key Cast
    "Doctor's Voice"
  • Layne Cochran
    Key Cast
    "Survivor's Voice"
  • Christian Milazzo
    Key Cast
    "Perpetrator's Voice"
  • Ryan Sehmi
    Composer
  • Ryan Sehmi
    Sound Effect Editor/Mixer
    92 Seconds, Minor Incident
  • Hammonton Arts Center
    Special Thanks
  • Joseph Bruno
    Special Thanks
  • Liam Foley
    Special Thanks
  • Sara Courtemanche
    Special Thanks
  • Jeffrey Teitler
    Special Thanks
    The Sweetest Land, Hospital Lives
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Short, Drama, Student, Me Too, Women
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 47 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Michaela Salvo

Michaela Salvo is an American digital artist. Salvo holds a B.A. in Art from Central Connecticut State University and is currently working towards her M.A. in Contemporary Curaring Design from Kingston University. Michaela sees film as a tool that can help express emotions, tell stories one is not able to tell with words and help people to be more understanding and empathetic. In the past, she explored the states of mental illnesses, especially depression, through her art. Her Pre-Covid series was a photography/film and digital art series "Our Stories" with sexual assault survivors to help them take back the power and control of the situation while showing the brutality of the act in its purest emotional form. This work has been put on hold due to Covid but will be continued once it is safe. Currently, Salvo is working with self-portraiture to create works that make people feel less alone in isolation.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Twenty-Three Percent follows a fictional survivor that serves as a placeholder for the 1 out of every 6 American women and 1 in 33 American men who experience attempted or full-rape in their life time. The goal of this film is to show that aftermath of rape and the importance of rape kits. Above all I hope what you take away from this film is to lean towards believing survivors. The unfortunate reality is that getting a rape kit performed is extremely invasive and the process of reporting tends to give survivors unwanted negative attention. The majority of people are not going to undergo this process if they were not assaulted. Out of every 1000 rapes, 995 perpetrators walk free. Only 23% of survivors even report the crime to police. You can help the fear of reporting by believing survivors.