Famed sex researcher Shere Hite’s 1976 best-selling book “The Hite Report” was a pioneering study of women’s sexuality that sold millions and liberated the idea of the female orgasm. But, in what doesn’t seem like much of a surprise considering today’s political climate—and to that end, how little has changed— the book triggered a ferocious backlash, especially from the political right and establishment in America. Hite then basically vanished, retreating from the public eye altogether. And Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nicole Newnham’s (“Crip Camp”) new doc, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite,” examines this very phenomenon, what she released, where she went and why. What led to her erasure?
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“The Disappearance of Shere Hite” premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival to much acclaim. Here’s the official synopsis:
Shere Hite’s 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Her findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. So, how did Shere Hite disappear?
For the doc, Newnham gained access to “exclusive archives, as well as Hite’s personal journals and the original survey responses… Her revelatory portrait is a rediscovery of a pioneer who has had an unmistakable influence on current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy, as well as a timely, cautionary tale of what too often happens to women who dare speak out.”
Another great get, actress Dakota Johnson, who serves as an executive producer, essentially voices Hite’s writings in the film as the narrator. Earlier this year, IFC Films and Sapan Studios acquired North American rights to the documentary, and it will land in theaters this fall on November 17. Watch the first trailer below.
