For decades, pictures of Roman Polanski have been used by the media to illustrate the story of his sexual assault on 13-year old Samantha Geimer, but now the 50-year old victim is coming forward with a new memoir that will valiantly show her face to the world on its cover, a haunting image taken by Polanski less than three weeks before he drugged and raped her, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
Geimer's memoir "The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski" will be released on September 7th, a project that is highly symbolic for her.
"Since the incident, the media has always illustrated the story with a picture of Polanski," Andy Lewis of The Hollywood Reporter wrote. "Geimer finally wanted to put her own face on the story, and this picture reflected the starting point for her."
The cover photo is eerie in its beauty, haven been shot by Polanski himself in February 1977 when Geimer was just thirteen in her first photo session with the director, whom she met through her mother. Geimer was asked to pose topless in some of the shots from this first shoot at her home in Woodland Hills, Calif. In March, Polanski took her to Jack Nicholson's home on Mulholland Drive, drugged and raped her.
Geimer's attorney Lawrence Silver, who also contributed to the book, demanded Polanski to turn over all of the photos he took of Geimer to the police through a 1988 civil suit. Although the director gave up many of them, years later, others were discovered after a civil suit was filed, including the one used for the cover.
"What happened was this," writes Silver in the new memoir. "In executing the search warrant, the police didn't recognize the importance of a receipt/claim check from Sav-On Drugs' photograph department. Years later, I was told that Polanski gave his lawyer the receipt, and they secured the printed roll of film and negatives from the drug store. During the civil suit, his lawyer had to turn those photos over to me. These photographs, important both legally and historically, would likely have never been discovered if not for the civil suit."
Publisher Atria promises that the memoir will give readers "insight into many dimensions of the story that have never been previously revealed."
Geimer first announced the book in 2012 with the statement: "I am more than a 'Sex Victim Girl' [and] I offer my story now without rage, but with purpose - to share a tale that will reclaim my identity."
Since he pleaded guilty for statutory rape in 1978, Polanski has been living in exile, and Geimer has since advocated for his case to be dismissed, according to the Atlantic Wire.
