When “Josephine” director Beth de Araujo stood on stage Friday afternoon to accept the Breakthrough Director Award at the Critics’ Choice Association Cinema & Television Celebration 2026 at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, she said, “I had planned to say something different today, but it’s been a heartbreaking week and I know my colleagues would want me to use my time to talk about this.”
Although her speech began happily, thanking presenter Jason Blum for his kind words, and for producing her directorial debut “Soft and Quiet,” de Araújo began to tear up as she thought about her motivations for making her famous sophomore feature, which earned the rare distinction of winning both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Dramatic Competition at Sundance this year, and how it connects to recent current events. Rape case in Cornell University.
Below is the “Josephine” filmmaker’s acceptance speech, lightly edited and condensed for clarity and length.
“When I was eight years old, my father and I prevented a rape in the park. I started writing ‘Josephine’ when I was 27. When my father and I first discussed what had happened, I asked him why he didn’t tell me what rape was when I asked that day. Why didn’t he explain to me what was happening?
How does a father explain to his eight-year-old daughter what rape is? This is an impossible task. You also can’t tell your eight-year-old daughter that this is unusual or unlikely to happen to her. This is what I wanted to explore in my film. It is an impossible task for a father to reassure his daughter that she is safe because this fear becomes part of who she is and how she moves her body in this world.
The first words I heard from the victim were a cry for help. My father, a Brazilian immigrant, tracked down the man and helped the police arrest him. But this week we learned that other men didn’t come to the former Cornell student’s aid when she needed it. The details are horrific. The Cornell administration that gave these boys leniency are at best sympathizers that valued those boys’ lives more than Jane Doe.
These people were about to graduate and become our next leaders. It’s a reminder of why so many people endure pain in silence. None of those 50 people behaved like my father did when they saw injustice. Not one. Rape and rape culture are global epidemics. The words we have read in the fraternity lesson series are not an anomaly.
For those who have not lost their humanity. Please hold each other accountable, even when it’s uncomfortable. Be the person who follows, not the person who laughs with the group. Help the women and girls in your life. If a young filmmaker asks you for notes on his cut of his film, give it to him. Any small task is highly motivating and helpful for his perseverance. If for no other reason, do it for yourself because the stories we tell raise leaders who show up for us when we need it.
When I was eight years old I didn’t have the strength to help that young lady in the park. I didn’t have the abilities yet. I created ‘Josephine’ with the aim of answering woman’s cry for help.
This week I’ve been wondering, ‘When Jane Doe graduates, what will she grow up to be?’ Doctors, senators, journalists. In the only way, whatever she was able to muster, she appealed to us for help and I really hope we all answer that call.
To my film family, Gemma [Chan]Channing [Tatum]Phil [Ettinger]Saira [McCarthy]To our cast and crew, our producers, thank you for answering that call. It was a difficult story, but he made it an enjoyable set for me. and to mason [Reeves]Our Josephine, thank you for giving this character more honesty, love and resilience than I could have ever asked for. And to everyone who has seen the film and who has talked about it, I really thank you.