Feminism has made plenty of strides in multiple areas, but even in the era of free love, talking about sex was difficult, and certain figures were dismissed just because of it. The Disappearance of Shere Hite reexamines the titular forgotten feminist figure that simply focused on the female orgasm, giving a second look at her immediate rise and fall in the American media, and the reasons for her leaving the country. With Dakota Johnson’s soft voice, an excellent selection of archival footage, and Hite’s deeply personal words, the film paints a portrait of a mild-mannered, self-possessed woman, but it also reveals the heartbreakingly repetitive vitriol that affects these open discussions today.
"A melancholy tale about a true iconoclast."
— David Jenkins
"Combining the delights of an eccentric character study with the tension of a thrilling investigation, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” restores a forgotten trailblazer in sexuality studies to her rightful place in feminist history."
— Jude Dry
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?
After publishing the bestselling Hite Report, a series of findings surrounding the female orgasm, Shere Hite rocked America with a new perspective on gender and sexuality.
After Fifty Shades of Grey, choosing Dakota Johnson to narrate some of Shere Hite’s personal thoughts is an excellent choice considering the similarities between their soft voices and the way they both shifted the discussion of sex in America in their respective works.
Never has a documentary made me this furious, Shere Hite deserved better.
Sundance
1 nomination
