'Nice pins babe,' says a creepy, luring voice at the start of Common Misconceptions.
To which a female voice replies: 'And that is why sometimes I dont want to go out - you think you're chatting me up, but you're actually pissing me off'.
Thing is, we've all most definitely been there – a hand nestled into you lower back, the drunk guy who won't leave you alone.
Why do we just accept – even expect – this weird behaviour as part of nightclub culture?
Or, as Lynette Nylander writes (and narrates) in the film, 'just another Saturday night'.
Directed by Margot Bowman, the two friends decided to lay out common scenarios and ways you can 'avoid being that creep' in the club. Produced in collaboration with Boiler Room, it was premiered at Sounds Like London (a music project between Boiler Room and London mayor Sadiq Khan).
They were inspired by an article called ‘How To Hit On A Girl’ by Éliane Thivierge in Rave Ethics – a zine about the misogyny in rave culture – and adapted it for film.
The four minute animation is told through the eyes of a young woman and is a sharp look into your typical Saturday night. From having to ignore the 'What's your name? Who you here with?' questions you can barely hear over pumping music, to being grabbed from behind and using the 'my boyfriend's in the bathroom' excuse to escape - it highlights the kind of crap women consistently have to deal with.
Bowman and Nylander identify this behaviour as 'microaggressions,' but it's easy for these to escalate into something more serious. Like the scene in which a man waits until 4am to see which drunk (read: unconscious) girl he can 'help' home.
And as the film's protagonist says: 'If I can’t see you how can I consent to what you’re doing?'
'When you put it like that,' explains Bowman,'it’s so obvious but it really goes up against the norm, which is men holding your waist as a way of flirting with you. We're so used to it.'
She continues: 'But the film lifts the lid up on that behaviour and questions it, and that’s really important. ‘Common Misconceptions’ isn't about people doing criminal things – these are misconceptions that you think are okay because no one’s told you it’s not okay. No one’s told you it makes them feel uncomfortable because it’s loud and dark and they don’t know you so they just leave.'
Rather than simply criticising, the pair suggest ways in which men can change their behaviour. They present four scenarios and four helpful solutions: 'Dont interrupt someone dancing', 'Dont follow or stare', 'Be visible' (don't sneak up from behind) and 'Respect Limits' ('ask, don't assume, I wanted my leg dry humped').
'We didn’t just want to say "this is a really annoying thing that men do" – we wanted to say "this is how you could alter your behaviour and do something different,"' explains Nylander.
Common Misconceptions is trying to educate guys that their chat up lines might not be having the intended effect. But, say Bowman and Nylander, it doesn't mean you can't ever approach a girl again.
As the narrator says in the film: 'I want to be clear, approaching someone you like at a club is completely acceptable, just pick your moment', while both Bowman and Nylander were conscious of not sounding too preachy.
'I understand it's a big part of going out, but it’s not the only reason why women go out – and that needs to be respected,' says Nylander. 'If you want to approach someone you should but I think in 2018 you need to be more mindful of how you do it.'
Bowman agrees: 'There’s a lot of men who feel really uncomfortable right now about what they’re supposed to do – or not supposed to do. So we offers solutions, things you can do.'
Once a solely male-dominated culture, the world of clubbing is seeing more and more women rise to the top. Whether that's through DJing or creating their own club nights, it also means conversations that were previously swept under the carpet are being brought to the forefront. Harassed/assaulted/attacked in a club? Yep, you can't ignore it anymore.
'I definitely feel that anything can happen in a club, which is the beautiful, amazing part of going out – it's just never properly been policed,' says Nylander. 'Loads of things happen in clubs that are really not okay. Our film is about just one hazy part of that, but take it as a jumping off point.'
