ANITA (Freida Mock). 84 minutes. Opens Friday (August 1) at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. For times, see listings. Rating: NNNN Rating: NNNN
Anyone who was riveted by Anita Hill’s testimony to the Senate committee hearing on Clarence Thomas’s appointment to the Supreme Court should see this film. Her ordeal was worse than you remember. If you missed that 1991 media event, see it, too. You can’t imagine how bad it was.
A panel of white, privileged legislators – including infamous womanizer Ted Kennedy – badgered, berated and humiliated respected law professor Hill as she testified with unbelievable calm, day after day, that she had been sexually harassed by Thomas. Committee chair Joe Biden (yes, the current VP) led the charge and refused to call corroborating witnesses. Thomas’s appointment was eventually approved.
Hill became a sought-after leader and lecturer on sexual harassment. The material here about those later events, unfortunately, isn’t nearly as compelling as reliving those hearings.
