A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides

A Hymn to Life will tell Gisèle Pelicot’s story in her words, offer solace and hope, and make a positive contribution to changing the conversation around shame and to changing the world

In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot inspired millions of people with her astonishing courage and dignity as she chose to waive her right to anonymity in her legal fight against her husband and the fifty men accused of her sexual assault. By the time Dominique Pelicot and the dozens of men accused were found guilty, Gisèle had become a global icon in the campaign against sexual violence, galvanizing a movement that triggered protests and demonstrations around the world in her support. “I hear lots of women, and men, who say you’re very brave,” she addressed the courtroom. “I say it’s not bravery, it’s will and determination to change society.”

Gisèle Pelicot’s call for shame to change sides in cases of sexual abuse, and the solidarity she has shown survivors, have generated an extraordinary public response and moved both women and men all over the world. On December 19, 2024, when Pelicot walked down the steps of the Avignon courthouse at the culmination of the biggest rape trial in French history, she spoke to a cheering crowd of hundreds of people: “When I opened the doors to this trial on 2 September, I wanted society to be able to take part in this debate. I have never regretted that decision,” she continued. “I have confidence in our ability to collectively grasp a future in which everyone, women and men alike, can live in harmony, with mutual respect and understanding.”