"They don't just come up and lamp you on the first date. It's a violence that's interwoven like silk with the everyday stuff, the good stuff..." – Samantha Beckinsale, Love?
Breaking the silence on domestic abuse
We would like to thank everyone who joined us for our latest networking event and film screening of Love? – a film by domestic abuse survivor Sam Beckinsale on the devastating impacts of domestic abuse and the many forms it can take. Samantha gives a voice to victims/survivors of domestic abuse by narrating real accounts they have shared. Love? explores the subtle escalation of coercive control, of psychological and economic abuse which erodes the victim/survivor’s sense of self over time. At its core, the film challenges the question posed to so many victims/survivors: “Why didn’t you just leave?”.
We are very grateful to Sam for her incredible efforts to raise awareness about domestic abuse, and for sharing her own story in a powerful speech to those who attended. For those of you who could not make the film screening, discover more about Love? in this short promo (note that you should only use it for personal viewing as it is subject to copyright).
How you can host a screening of Love? for your employees
Sam Beckinsale invites your organisation to participate in the Love? project and host your own film screening. Hosting these events can kickstart conversations about domestic abuse, raise awareness and inspire collective action to tackle domestic abuse wherever and however it occurs. For information on how your organisation can get involved, see here.
Page & Bloom
At the end of the evening, everyone received a paper rose from Page & Bloom, made from pages of the film script and old EIDA flyers. Page & Bloom is a social enterprise that provides fair employment and opportunities to domestic abuse survivors by making beautiful flowers from recycled paper. They are currently seeking corporate partners to expand their employment programme. Find out how your organisation can help here.
Our thanks to EIDA Beacon member, Hogan Lovells, for generously hosting this event.