Logline: Helen discovers that deepfake images of her in sexually explicit and violent scenarios have been uploaded onto a porn site and goes on a journey to understand what has happened to her. Synopsis: In November 2020, an acquaintance knocked on Helen’s door to tell her he had seen explicit photos of her on a porn site. Helen had never shared intimate photos, so she didn’t believe it, until she saw for herself. She had been deep-faked. Her face had been digitally edited onto images of women in sexually explicit and violent scenes. Helen stares into the viewer’s eyes as she describes the deepfakes which appear to be of herself, but depict her face on other women’s bodies in rooms she has never entered and scenarios she has never experienced. Helen felt violated and paranoid. She called the police to report the crime, but they told her there was nothing they could do, no crime had been committed. It is not illegal to make deepfake images. Helen’s mental health deteriorated as she began to live out these scenes through nightmares. The fictious images took on a life of their own, altering her own memories and perception. To regain control, Helen chose to speak out about her experiences. As she confronts her unresolved feelings about who created these images and why, Helen challenges the culture that treats women’s appearance and image as public property while the perpetrators remain anonymous. She no longer carries the constant fear and anxiety, but the experience has changed her forever. Helen is one of many women who have shared their experience with this increasingly common form of image-based sexual abuse. She and others are part of a campaign calling for real and meaningful online safety protections for women and girls and for changes to the law and conversation around deepfakes and image-based abuse.

Showing in: