Julia Hebner ​on the conflicting roles women are expected to play

In Julia Hebner's "Jeff," Marsha is a phone sex operator who takes a call from a man who confesses that he is a pedophile. Throughout the duration of the phone call, Marsha loses touch with what's real, as she gets wrapped up in Jeff's disturbing confessions. Exploring the experience of gaslighting and existing as a woman under the male gaze, "Jeff," illuminates the inherently contradictory expectations placed on women to act as both caretakers and agents of sex for primarily male pleasure. They must be a saint and a sinner when desired, according to Hebner. As this conversation between Marsha and Jeff takes place, Hebner represents their exchange of words in stereotypical role-play scenarios, nurse and patient, teacher and student, to demonstrate this contradiction enacted by the patriarchy. In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we talk to Hebner about stereotypical sex worker roles, internalized misogyny, the experience of being catcalled as early as the age of 10, and why telling these stories is important. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival. Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.