Netflix’s ‘Citation’ effectively tackles sexual assault on college campuses through a West African angle
Photo courtesy of IndieWire
Netflix’s new original film, “Citation,” which is based on true events, follows Moremi (Temi Otedola), an intelligent and ambitious student at a Nigerian college campus. However, suddenly her future is not looking so bright. After being sexually assaulted by her professor, Lucien N’Dyare (Jimmy Jean-Louis), Moremi brings the incident to the attention of the school board and begins a long, tiresome battle for justice. “Citation” effectively and powerfully tackles the topic of sexual assault in West Africa, a perspective that is rarely shown in the media. While there are many documentaries and different films surrounding sexual assault in the U.S., this movie sheds a light on the situation in Nigeria – a reminder that sexual assault on college campuses is a worldwide problem.
When N’Dyare first arrives on campus, Moremi is blinded by his charismatic and trustworthy demeanor, teaching him how to drive “stick-shift” and befriending him. However, N’Dyare soon makes it clear that his intentions are sexual during an academic meeting. Moremi quickly shoots this down, saying that it is inappropriate, but he is persistent. Clearly uncomfortable, she leaves his office, but does not report the incident. This is a prime example of how the teacher-student power dynamic can cause students to keep quiet and not report incidents of unwanted sexual behavior from a professor, whether physical or verbal.
This film depicts this power struggle extremely well, showing how N’Dyare gets close to Moremi by being relatable and acting as her friend, but the second she denies him, he becomes her professor again and has control over her future. In this specific incident, Moremi was concerned about her grade in the class and her standing at the university. She also deals with the concern of whether she will be believed or not if she does choose to come forward. This professor is significantly older than her, is respected among the faculty and even revered by many around the world. Who is going to believe a young college student over him? These sentiments are evident in the hearings that are held after she makes a formal complaint.
N’Dyare’s tactic to win the case is to victim blame, claiming that Moremi expressed interest in him first and he shut her down. Eventually, the situation comes to a head with N’Dyare attempting to rape Moremi at a party. Luckily, she can escape and reports him to the school board.
What follows is a chilling look at the aftermath and fallout of Moremi’s choice to come forward, as she discovers that she was not alone in her experience with N’Dyare and numerous women in multiple different countries were assaulted by him as well.
The movie does an exquisite job with this story arc. From the beginning of the film, viewers would not expect N’Dyare to be the sexual assaulter because his relationship with Moremi seems so innocent. However, at the end of the film, it is revealed that he had his sights set on her from the very beginning. He already knew how to drive a car with a manual gear shift and pretended not to know how in order to form a relationship with her. The only aspect of his character’s progression that doesn’t quite translate is his sudden intensity with Moremi. It seems to go from being a little overly friendly to suddenly very aggressive towards her.
With the new information revealed about the other women, the board rules in Moremi’s favor, firing N’Dyare and sending the case to law enforcement. Moremi then becomes the face for a movement fighting against sexual assault on college campuses. She says that although she didn’t set out to be a poster child for this movement, she is glad to be one.
This powerful film shines a light on the monumental issue of sexual assault in not only Nigerian universities, but in colleges around the world. Many cases go unreported or are simply not believed, and this is a deep-seeded issue reliant upon the oppressive dynamic of gender and power. “Citation” does an excellent job of bringing some much-needed attention to the issue of sexual assault in universities. It’s something that needs to be addressed and rectified worldwide.
