Cinema VinesActor Cynthia Erivo said she hopes the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Prima Facie will spark conversations that lead to real change. The film, an adaptation of Suzie Miller’s play about consent, sexual violence and the British legal system, follows Tessa, a criminal‑defence barrister whose life is shattered when she is sexually assaulted by a male colleague. Erivo, who has played the role on stage in the musical Wicked, explained that the story forces her to navigate the legal system from the viewpoint of a survivor, confronting the obstacles victims face when seeking justice and the difficulty of proving rape in court.
“Things can feel like they’re permanent if no one does anything to shift or change them,” Erivo told Reuters before the film’s world premiere on Sunday. “The more we talk about it, the more we see it for what it is, the easier it will become for us to change things.” She added that the film’s impact depends on open dialogue and on men taking responsibility for the problem.
Erivo praised co‑star Daniel Ings for stepping into a challenging role, noting that male actors can help keep such stories in the public eye. “When someone like Daniel is brave enough to come forward and say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to play this role and we’re going to tell this story together,’ it means we have one more chance to tell this story,” she said.
Director Susanna White admitted that turning Miller’s award‑winning play into a film felt intimidating at first, but she found confidence after speaking with the playwright. “Of course, it’s intimidating when the play has been so successful… but as soon as I started talking to Suzie, I knew we were partners,” White said. Miller, who also wrote the screenplay, expressed hope that the film will encourage conversations about consent and accountability, and that men will be enlisted as mentors to help explain the nuances of consent and sexuality.
Ings said the film’s themes drew him to the project, adding that if “none of the boys are willing to go there, then you cannot tell the story.” The film’s premiere at TIFF marks a significant moment for the conversation around sexual violence and the legal challenges survivors face.
