SYNOPSIS

In the summer of 2008, Kim M. packed her three daughters into her van and drove away from 10 years of emotional and physical abuse by her husband. We met Kim a few weeks later in a Duluth, MN domestic violence shelter and stayed with her as she got her strength back, found an apartment, moved from her old house and began a new life.

Kim’s journey is at the heart of "Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America." At a time when the economic crisis has led to a sharp, sudden spike in domestic violence across the country, the documentary is the first to seriously explore the complex and troubling persistence of violence against women in our country. Kim’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the progress we’ve made -- and of the huge strides that need to be taken.

In addition to following Kim, the film tells the story of other victims of domestic abuse and goes onto the streets with the police, and into hospitals, courts, shelters and advocacy centers.

The film is now in production. Our expected release date is spring, 2010.

"Power and Control" examines the troubling questions facing those who have dedicated their lives to fighting domestic violence. Professors, doctors, advocates, officials, judges and front line social workers will take a hard look at their successes and failures and speak to the pressing issues that need to be confronted as a new generation of leaders takes over from the founding mothers of the battered women’s movement.

Domestic Violence: A revolution at a crossroads

The battered women’s movement has been one of the most powerful forces for social change in our time. Since the early 1970s, advocates have fought for a legal, political and cultural revolution that has transformed the way America responds to domestic abuse.

Now the revolution stands at a crossroads. Activists within ask if compromises have diminished the movement, arguing that the original vision of women’s liberation has been replaced by an expedient rhetoric of law and order. On the outside, a new "post-feminist" viewpoint challenges the movement’s sacred principles. Some innovators are advocating restorative justice and related program concepts as an alternative approach. For many advocates, the viewpoint represents a dangerous backlash, raising the prospect of undoing the achievements of the past three decades.

All the while, domestic violence continues to ravage the lives of far too many victims. More than 20 percent of all women are assaulted by an intimate partner at some point during their lives. About 4.8 million women are assaulted or raped by an intimate partner each year. And the often violent and misogynistic dimensions of youth culture -- and troubling statistics about teen dating violence -- offer a frightening prognosis for things to come.

A measure of the success of the domestic violence movement is that far fewer women are killing men then they did 30 years ago. An alternative now exists for those trapped in abusive relationships. But the number of men who kill women has dropped hardly at all. The batterers have, it seems, hardly been reached.

The issues around "Power and Control" are compelling, but our first and most critically important objective is to create a powerful film -- to find characters and drama that vividly reflect the legal and social context.

Domestic Abuse Resources

"Power and Control" aims to be the definitive documentary on the topic of domestic violence, and also a resource for teaching and professional training. This web site will evolve as the film enters post productions and goes into release. The site is intended to serve as a vital resource for academics, professionals and the community at large.

In addition to our 56-minute film, there will be three shorter features included with the film on a DVD and on the web:

• Domestic Violence Training for Doctors and Nurses. A 30-minute look at best practices, concentrating on responding in the emergency room and on screening for domestic abuse during regular checkups. Filmed in and around Baltimore’s Mercy Hospital.
• Domestic Violence Training for Police Officers. Cops say that their worst calls are domestics – and they’re also the ones they get the most. We’ll follow and interview a domestic violence squad that’s been recognized for excellence. We already have acquired most of the material for this feature, including an interview and extensive verité footage of Lt. Scott Jenkins, of the Duluth, MN police dept. We have also shot with the New York police dept. in the 46th precinct (the Bronx) and with the Baltimore police dept. domestic violence squad.
• For Victims of Emotional and Physical Abuse. As we shoot the film, we’ll be asking everyone we speak to the most frequently raised question about domestic violence victims: "Why don’t they just leave?" We’ll hear from a broad range of people: straight, gay, male and female, all races and creeds. Also, we’ll speak to students in middle and high school, addressing the issue of dating violence and abuse. Anyone experiencing intimate partner violence will be empowered by watching this short film. The film and packaging for it will include useful national phone numbers and web sites for those seeking personal and professional resources in combating domestic violence