Isabella Koontz
Film and Video Studies, 2026
It Didn’t Have to Be Worse. Lilah, a nineteen year old college student, struggles to rekindle her faith in Christianity after being sexually assaulted by a stranger on the metro.
Why do you feel this publication is important?
Storyline is an important publication because it gives students the opportunity to share their scripts with a broader audience. Personally, this publication has given me a chance to focus and refine my writing. I am excited to have my script as a part of Storyline so that I can share this important narrative with others.
What are the inspirations/motivations behind your screenplay?
Lilah represents thousands of women who have been sexually assaulted in any form, not just those who were raped. They can start to believe that their pain isn’t as valid because of the idea that ‘it could have been worse.’ But trauma and pain are not confined by check boxes. Religion adds another layer to the onslaught of questions that come after assault. Many student films show Christianity in a negative way, but I wanted to shed a positive light on it and the ways it can bring people together and provide strength and healing. It Didn’t Have to Be Worse was created to validate survivors’ individual experiences and the complexity of finding healing post trauma.
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