It’s not always easy to just leave.
Mark your calendars! After Private Violence won a Sundance Award, HBO decided to premiere the documentary on October 20. I recommend it highly because I want y’all to witness top-quality domestic violence advocacy ~ services we all deserve but too often don’t receive.
Update: HBO will air Private Violence again on Thursday, October 23 at 5:45 PM.
Kit Gruelle in Seattle
Cynthia Hill, the film’s award-winning director and producer, decided to focus on the work of Kit Gruelle and her colleague Stacy in Private Violence. As a child, Ms. Hill had witnessed her mother’s abuse and is passionate on the issue of domestic violence. The documentary is brilliant and sensitive to the arduous road from victim to victorious.
Quite frankly, it is inordinately difficult to achieve our victory lap absent the guidance, perseverance, wisdom, dedication, and commitment of a professional advocate. My hope is that HBO will make Private Violence available on DVD so that we can educate and inform our own advocates and hopefully inspire them to step up their game.
Seattle YWCA’s Maria Pintar, Macquiva Bermudez-Vega, and Okesia Phillips
To this end, I was thrilled that three brilliant, beautiful, and committed advocates from Seattle’s YWCA were in the audience for HBO’s private screening of Private Violence at the SIFF. The trio sat in front of me at the screening as we witnessed advocates embrace and console terrified women who were being stalked like prized prey.
We heard Deanna Walters’ horrific story of kidnapping and cross-country beatings on an 18-wheeler by her estranged husband. The “justice” system was ambivalent about prosecuting him until the FBI agreed to enter the case after a concerted and determined nine-month lobbying effort by Stacy. Nine months, folks! Nine months. Not many of us are blessed with an advocate with this kind of determination or integrity.
Gloria Steinem
until we have peaceful and democratic families.
The executive producers of Private Violence are Gloria Steinem and Cindy Waitt, who also was the executive producer of the renowned documentary Bully. After a screening in New York City, Ms. Steinem opined:
We have the power of social disapproval. We have the power of noticing, of seeing, of supporting, of protecting.
Amen.
Since Russell Wilson appears to have abandoned his Pass the Peace campaign, I’d like for all of us to pick up the challenge. Let’s spend the weekend Passing the Peace. Let’s invite our friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors to wear purple and watch Private Violence on HBO or on HBO GO with us on Monday, October 20 at 9PM.
Then, let’s start a conversation about how each of us in our own way can continue to Pass the Peace.
Thank you, HBO.
Related links:
Review: Private Violence, 10/18/14
LET’S NOT FORGET TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AS WE TALK ABOUT BULLYING by Cindy Waitt, 6/21/12
Gloria Steinem Speaks Out About Domestic Violence At A Screening Of HBO Documentary ‘Private Violence’ by Emma Gray, HuffPost Women, 9/30/14
Anne Caroline Drake 