Created by filmmaker Naima Ramos-Chapman, with cinematography by Terence Nance, And Nothing Happened is a short film that employs surrealism to depict a woman dealing with the psychological aftermath of sexualized violence, and PTSD.

A young woman wakes up one day to find an inverted crumbling black hole in her bedroom ceiling. She shrugs it off to go about her morning routine in an effort to return things back to the way they were so she can get on with the rest of her day. But more curious things happen as she inches closer to leaving her apartment. Worried her existence might forever involve a juggling of the mundane and the extraordinary, she must deal with her mother and sister who don’t quite see things the way she does.

“And Nothing Happened” is a story that examines the psychic costs of sexualized violence; the ways one internalizes trauma and the ways one moves through it. Set in the interior of a woman’s childhood home we see the main character struggle with bureaucratic barriers to justice, rationalization and denial tactics associated with PTSD, and the reconciliation of trauma into the mundanities of everyday life.

Using surrealist elements, “And Nothing Happened” hones in on the more nuanced ways that survivors deal with trauma. The film strives to capture what “surviving” looks like day-to-day and moment-to-moment, without centering the story around the brutality of the act itself.

“And Nothing Happened” is an autobiographical account, making the project particularly personal and close to the heart. Sexualized violence, however isn’t something that impacts an unfortunate few; it’s a pervasive issue infecting societies across cultures and generations. With your support and our determination, this film will contribute to the ongoing conversations we’re having locally and nationally regarding rape prevention.

In all stages of creation, this film was made by women.

This is our story, made our way.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, the film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival last month.

Watch a trailer below, and follow And Nothing Happened on Facebook for updates.