‘I See Her’ is a film created as a direct response to the rise in cases of abuse of women and girls globally post-pandemic. The spike in gender-based violence was so high, it was dubbed “The Shadow Pandemic.” The work seeks to reframe the topic, removing the lens away from the male perpetrator of abuse and instead focusing it on the intersectionality of women in such situations: both as victims of abuse and as active bystanders. It goes further to highlight the nuances of women of colour involved in situations of abuse and pushes back on the submissive characteristics often assigned to female victims of abuse in mainstream media or advertising.

The work seeks to deliver its powerful message without the need for gratuitous violence, rather it subtly empowers through a gentle, musical and sensitive narrative, encouraging us and the next generation to unite to stop this alarming trend.

The film was created for the company as a response to increasing data showing that action needed to be taken. Initially it was to be included within a governmental strategy to overcome rates of abuse in women and girls, but unforeseen delays arose. With statistics revealing that 5 women every hour were being killed by a family member, every day without action cost lives. This was tangible motivation. Rather than wait for the materials needed to drive action, the company, joined by a small international team of collaborators, activists and survivors, launched ‘I See Her’ independently.

The independent launch also allowed us to include cultural nuances, which were particularly poignant at the time affecting minoritized communities, without censorship and from the perspective of those affected personally. One such topic was the injustices experienced by Black women that have historically led to fear in reporting crimes - especially timely post-George Floyd. Additionally, reference was made to the prevalence of forced marriage fatally affecting South Asian women – Richard Wagner’s ‘Bridal Chorus’ was included within our film’s original score. The unity between Black and South Asian women was equally important, where previously women from minoritized communities have been portrayed as being in conflict. In doing so our mission was for the work to resonate on a deeper level beyond what might have been possible with any other company or organisation.

A strong female-majority team also allowed us to address misrepresentation of women experiencing abuse, and dismantle stereotypes previously presented in media.

Having a female-led, female-majority production was essential to our representation of an issue affecting women and girls. Women comprised 63% of the production. Understanding that gender-allyship was key to a pubic call to action, the rest of the team comprised of 34% males, with 3% gender non-confirming.

By capturing the topic through a female lens, the work was extremely considered when it came to gendered-nuances and decisions over what the characters wore, what they might be doing in their homes, how they might interact and how they might present in the ‘ideal’ future scenes portrayed in the film. One such consideration was the clothes worn by the neighbour, a reference to Lisa Bonet's ‘Denise Huxtable’ from ‘The Cosby Show,’ and a response to the sexual assault allegations at the time. Through the production, the female-majority team were able to reclaim their voices in an industry which continues to foster gender-inequality.

Topics of abuse have been widely covered, however there’s substantial under-representation of the nuances which accompany the on-screen portrayal of abuse of women and girls. The work’s main mission was for the film to stand out and create an authentic emotional connection in order to encourage a call-to-action. In striving to achieve authenticity by expanding out the behaviours of the female characters, the work simultaneously pushed back on gendered-tropes within the context of abuse.

This, however, became especially tricky within the context of women of colour, where our uncomfortable history can sometimes marginalise work created for mainstream consumption. Work that does make it into the ‘mainstream’ has often lacked the intersectionality of female characters of colour.

In addition, a PSA film referencing, and self-funded by, the POC community caused distribution channel delays, and ultimately led to our independent and non-traditional release. The film was also driven by a female director, in a climate where in 2023 the number of female directors decreased from 16%.

Yet because of both female leadership and sensitively considered characters the film was able to achieve the real and authentic connection it needed to resonate during screenings, resulting in an onboarding of policymakers and changemakers post-production.

'I See Her' follows the story of a woman trapped in a forced marriage who experiences an alternate future in which a neighbour helps her out of her situation, only to realise none of it will exist without the awareness and understanding of strangers.

It’s a short film with a mission to stop violence against women and girls, whose lives could follow a completely different path with the help of us, the active bystander. It also highlights wider issues of race, inequality and injustice affecting minoritized communities when presented with the decision of whether or not to act in an often inherently flawed judicial system.

The work’s goal is to inspire us to take action. The more we understand the problem, the better our chances of stopping gender-based violence. No one should live in fear of abuse. If you see her, you can help her.

Data was collected from NGOs, charities, The Home Office and New Scotland Yard enabling us to understand the extent of the issue within the UK. Speaking to international NGOs and activists helped us understand the global context. We wanted the work to stand out amongst call-to-action PSAs which attempt more traditional advertising narratives to emotionally connect with the public, and in which the intersectionality of gender-based issues often fall behind the line of consideration.

The film had a two-pronged approach. Phase 1: a launch to changemakers, activists, government officials, police-force, non-government and charity organisations. Phase 2: a strategy to incorporate the film into schools, where statistics show that children both report abuse, and must be part of the education towards breaking the cycle. Children were included in the soundtrack of the film with a simple melody that they could hum, allowing us to include music within educational presentations.

The film was created in the UK by a female-led team. Once the footage was complete, it was taken internationally to be edited, sound graded and colour graded. International post-production was completed remotely where possible to reduce the carbon footprint. Finally the soundtrack was recorded and added.

The film took several months to complete with everyone involved donating their time for the charity. The completed version was uploaded via private link on 25th June 2023.

It was then screened from 18th – 29th November 2023 to changemakers, activists, government officials, police-force, non-government and charity organisations during International Domestic Abuse Awareness Month.

Our second phase, incorporating the film within schools has begun, with roll-out throughout 2024.

Final delivery of the film publicly online as a free resource will complete in November 2024, once again marking International Domestic Abuse Awareness Month.

The film will continue to be distributed in educational programs post-2024.

Phase 1 of the launch is complete, with successful screenings and presentations at Genesis Cinema (attended by 350 changemakers who purchased tickets with 100% of sales going to the NGO charity providing support pathways for victims and survivors of abuse), The Royal Television Society (an educational television society presentation to their 5,030 online members), United Nations Women UK (their social media engagement increased by 300% during our launch) and The Houses of Parliament (attended by non-government organisations, government officials and Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, who were both leaders in the suffragette movement).

Attendees agreed that the film successfully reimagined how the topic of gender-based abuse could be portrayed.

Each of these sessions resulted in a pledge to action by those who were directly responsible for legislative changes and support of the prevention of cases of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The work’s mission is to become a long-lasting tool in the fight against gender-based violence. During the roll out to educational programs, it will be housed online as a free resource, accompanied by referral pathways to support networks.

We hope that the legacy of this film extends beyond our release strategy and continues to raise awareness of the issue, with a measurable increase in reporting of cases in both schools and by the public and, ultimately, the reduction of cases.

We also hope that its sensitive delivery makes it a palatable way to open conversations within POC communities on what is still perceived as a hidden issue, and in doing so, break taboos surrounding abuse.

On a wider level we hope our work inspires more female-led narratives within film and advertising, and that it inspires confidence in our stories, which are both relevant and have the power for change.