The 21 minute film
Several years ago, members of the staff of the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention were connected to a group of filmmakers who wanted to do what had never been done-document the history of the anti battering movement in America. With WIVP support and the support of a number of foundations and individuals across the country, they produced a powerful 21 minute piece which is now being shown at schools and conferences across the country. The film looks at the domestic violence power and control wheel, the portrayal of domestic violence murders in the media and popular culture, early women advocates, the role of the police, the shelter movement, and the growing movement of men speaking out against family violence. Testimonials for the short film have been overwhelmingly supportive.

Ninety percent (90%) of the seniors rated the film ‘an 8 or higher’ (scale 1-10, 10 high) when asked if the video depicted the seriousness of battering in America

Ninety-two percent (92%) of the seniors rated the film ‘a 7 or higher’ (scale 1-10, 10 high) when asked how effective the use of music artists, professional athletes, politicians, and interviews with advocates was in addressing battering in America.

The film makers, Astrea Productions and Video Dialog are offering copies of this short educational film as a gift in exchange for a tax deductable donation to the production of the feature length film. Go to PrivateViolence.com for more information.

The feature length film
A feature length documentary is now being filmed and produced, and will include a complementary web-based educational outreach toolkit for not only DV advocates and clinicians, but judges, police, district attorneys, the medical community and students. The film will expand and deepen the stories of victims and survivors, students and activists, challenge the viewers perceptions, and continue to weave in the stories told by the movement’s leaders over the last 40 years.  For over 12 years, Kit Gruelle, an activist, trainer, advocate and DV survivor, gathered the stories of the women and men who have been at the forefront of the issue.  Interviews with luminaries such as author and activist Gloria Steinem, co sponsor of the 1994 Violence against Women Act Vice President Joe Biden, Mark Wynn, former police officer and DV survivor, early gender violence leaders Ellen Pence and Jackson Katz, and many others.

The film is due to be completed in early 2013,  link here

A New Kind of Strength, the men’s movement against gender violence.

Starting in 2004, the Waitt Institute has been working with activist and producer of “Private Violence” Kit Gruelle and director Cynthia Hill, with Henry Corra of Corrafilms, and other film makers, to document events, meetings, and conferences on the issue of “Engaging Men and Boys” in gender violence.  Along with Kit’s film archives from 2001, we’ve added interviews from leaders of the movement such as Ted Bunch and Tony Porter of  Call to Men, Jackson Katz of MVP, Brian O’Connor from Futures without Violence’s “Coaching Boys into Men” program, survivor, activist and legendary baseball manager Joe Torre and many others.

The film is free to all on PrivateViolence.com, and has been shown at countless trainings and conferences since its premiere in October, 2011.   We’ve had thousands of visits to the site and over 500 universities and organizations from over 30 states and 15 countries have used the film.