The Trauma of Loss of Virginity

The Trauma of Loss of Virginity

Bruce Von Stiers

There are many erroneous beliefs about someone losing their virginity. For some, it is a welcomed and wanted experience. For others, it is an incident that is not only unwanted, but often leaves emotional scarring, and sometimes even physical scarring.

There is a short drama film that touches on the unwanted aspect of losing your virginity. The title of the film, appropriately, is How I Lost My Virginity.

The film was written by Sofia D'Marco, who also stars in it. The film was based on an incident in Sofia's life.

Sofia plays Sara, a young woman who has a boyfriend, Fernando. He wants to have sex, but she doesn't want to lose her virginity. At least not yet.

They go to a party, where Sara catches the eye of the host, Loco. Fernando is confronted by a supposed ex-girlfriend and things don't go that well.

Later as Fernando tries again for sex, Sara is having none of it. She leaves Fernando's car and is immediately abducted.

Put into a room with just a bed and some stuffed animals, Sara learns that her captor is Loco. He forces her to have sex with him.

But that isn't the whole story. For as much as this is a story of rape, it is also a warped story of romance. Where Sara feels violated, Loco seems to find some kind of strange loving twist to the situation. Later Sara becomes defiant and rebukes Loco's romantic overtures.

The scenes are overly graphic, but the audience will get the sense of forced sex and violence.

The film has a really good cast. Gian Franco Rodriguez played Fernando. He has been in several short films. He also played Victor Hugo in episodes of Halston. Lloyd Lowe Jr. played Loco. Besides appearances in NYPD Blue and Family Law, he's been in films such as Tom's Nu Heaven.

Other actors in the film included Stefani Peti as Lorena, Alejandra Rodriquez as Deseree, Kyle Vonn Elzey as Conrad, Gaspar Montes as Martin, and Christopher Holder as Sara's dad.

Sofia D'Marco has appeared in several short films along with the feature film I, Matter.

The film was directed by Claire Chubbuck. Her directorial experiences include the short films Blueberry and Resilient.

Jeffery Lyons, Marc MacNeal, Bayan Joonam, and Ivana Chubbuck were executive producers for the film. Chubbuck was the acting coach for shows such as Bones, House, Ugly Betty and films such as Dreamgirls. She is also the mother of the film's director Claire Chubbuck.

The producer for the film was Mike Fishbein. The production company was It's Personal Productions.

The director of photography was Sam Heesen. He was a cinematographer for quite a few short films and several music videos, including a couple for Jessy Lanza.

Other people involved in the production included Ra Dreyfus, Annie Lilieholm, Robin Fuqua, Emily Bernstein, Moona Jin, and Eric Crawford.

The film brings forth a circumstance that is all too common, but rarely brought to light. Acquaintance rape is one of the least reported crimes. Studies show that less the two percent of victims of acquaintance rape ever report it. But with this film,Sofia D'Marco has not only presented a horrific experience, but shows that there is a way to rise above it.

How I Lost My Virginity has been featured at several film festivals. It has won Best Actor, Best Director and Best Short Film during its previous festival run. It is a featured finalist at the French Riviera Film Festival on May 19 th and 20 th , 2023. There is a web page that features all of the finalists for the festival. You will find it here. https://frenchrivierafilmfestival.com/finalists-2023/

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