Synopsis
In early 2020, seven women responded to a call-out to participate in an 8-week experimental recovery program. The program supports survivors of childhood sexual assault by addressing both the physical and emotional impacts of trauma through a unique combination of boxing and creative writing. What begins as an 8-week program soon becomes much more as these survivors build bonds with one another and with their coach that lead to transformations they could only have dreamed of.
Story
Chances have it that you know a survivor of childhood sexual assault. A colleague, a friend, even a family member. But the odds are you will never know. It is the part of their life story that will be kept hidden from view – a dark secret, a social taboo. Something unseen, something unsaid. And while this secrecy may act as a strategy that has kept them alive, it is often at the expense of their own physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Enter Left Write Hook, a unique eight-week recovery program combining the physicality of boxing with the emotional power of creative writing. The goal? To provide survivors of sexual assault a space to release their memories, reclaim their bodies and imagine new lives for themselves. It begins in 2020 –– Seven female survivors respond to the call to break their silence by participating in the Left Write Hook program, which has been advertised in gyms and survival forums across Melbourne, Australia. The program is led by boxing instructor and trauma survivor Donna Lyon. Our narrator and coach, she is the driving force behind the program, the solid foundation that will give these survivors the courage to release a Pandora’s box of emotions. But when factors out of her control begin to challenge the very viability of the program, Donna realises that there is a lot at stake. As a survivor, she knows that failure is not an option and that the program’s commitment to these women is long-term. A global pandemic, financial difficulties, increased isolation of her participants – she must find new ways to run the program to ensure the support she promised would remain. Meanwhile, those who respond to her call represent just a microcosm of the diversity of survivors. While most have successful professional careers, many are dealing with complex PTSD and dissociation. Many are queer idenitfying, many fear men. Some are fit, others are not. Their lives are all different, as are the details of their trauma, but all of them share the experience of living as adult survivors. And for each one of them, the program represents both an opportunity but also huge risk. For Pixie, who has never “come out” as a survivor, and who has suffered PTSD and bipolar, participation in the program risked triggering a new emotional depression. Would being part of the group give her the courage to fight her shame and be honest about her history? Or would it cost her all the relationships she has ever known? For Dove, who survived decades of organised ritualistic abuse at the hands of incredibly powerful people means there is safety in silence. Will speaking out lead to being publicly shamed as a liar to her family and community? And can her collaboration with the documentary help her confront her trauma from a childhood of pornographic exploitation? For Nikki, speaking out about her abuse at the hands of her grandfather, means facing a monster, who while long gone, still haunts her and her family. Will speaking out set them free or tear them apart? What begins as an eight-week workshop for these women becomes a multi-year journey that reveals complex histories and unforeseen possibilities. For most of the group this is the first time they have disclosed their trauma stories with other survivors and so simply stepping into the boxing ring or putting a pen to paper is a huge step. What unfolds across their ensuing time together is a profound discovery of self, resilience and community. And through powerful participatory filmmaking, unprecedented access and full engagement with all of those involved, this documentary will capture their amazing journey of recovery, transformation and friendship. THEMES TRANSFORMATION, TRAUMA, SPORT, COMMUNITY, GENDER POLITICS, LGBTQI+
Production Stage
- Development
- Production
- Post-production
- Completed
- Outreach
DURATION: 85 MINUTES
Issue area
HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE
CONTACT FILM TEAM