Billie Piper and Refuge give voice to untold stories of domestic abuse in powerful new film
Make the world a Refuge’ short awareness film released 9th October
Starring Billie Piper and produced by Refuge in partnership with creative agency AMV BBDO and directed by BAFTA winning ‘I Hate Suzie’ & ‘Kaos’ director Georgi Banks-Davies.
Renowned actor Billie Piper has partnered with Refuge for ‘Make the world a Refuge’, a short film exploring the many different forms that domestic abuse can take.
Having starred in a host of films and TV shows, Refuge ambassador Billie will now feature in a short film to highlight the often subtle and insidious ways abuse can show up in relationships.
Launching on the evening of Tuesday 8th October, the film depicts Billie reading real-life testimonies from survivors of domestic abuse, allowing their stories to be heard by protecting their anonymity.
The testimonies include examples of coercive control, technology-facilitated abuse and financial abuse – alongside physical violence. Controlling behaviour is at the heart of all forms of domestic abuse and can present itself in a multitude of ways, such as tracking a survivor’s phone or isolating them from their family and friends.
Last year, Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline supported people 49,787 times via phone, live chat, email and our British Sign Language interpretation service. Three quarters were survivors of domestic abuse, while 8% were concerned friends, family members, neighbours or colleagues and a further 8% were professionals including police, social workers and healthcare staff.
One in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. While domestic abuse can have a devastating impact on the wellbeing of survivors, Refuge will continue to support as many women as possible in helping them to rebuild their lives.
Speaking about the new film, Billie Piper said:
“Domestic abuse can happen to anybody. It does not discriminate, and it can leave survivors questioning themselves and their reality. Reading the words of survivors who have experienced such sinister forms of abuse was truly harrowing, but it is vital that more people are made aware of the many signs of abuse so that abusers can be held responsible. While it is horrific to know just how common domestic abuse is, speaking up is crucial in helping survivors realise that it is never their fault, and that Refuge is here to offer support.”
Abigail Ampofo, interim CEO of Refuge, said:
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Billie for this awareness raising film. As this film shows, so many forms of domestic abuse are insidious, and a perpetrator’s actions may appear subtle at first, which means some of the warning signs can be hard to spot. Patterns of behaviour can escalate over time, and the impact on survivors should not be underestimated. Billie’s invaluable work with Refuge will help us to show survivors of domestic abuse that they are not alone, and we hope it will allow more women to be able to spot the signs. For all the ways in which abuse and violence against women can show up, Refuge will show up for survivors.”
Director Georgi Banks-Davies said:
“It was an honour to be asked by Refuge to realise this campaign with them, and, of course, a dream to be reunited once again with the inimitable Billie Piper on this powerful project, which aims to help people understand the insidious nature of domestic abuse.
“It is vitally important to shine a light on the many ways women and girls are being subjected to coercion and control. The testimonies in the film aren’t scripted or made up, they come from survivors of domestic abuse, the voices of real women that have been supported by Refuge. It’s extremely important to me personally to share those voices. They should not go unheard.
“If this film helps one woman understand that she is in an abusive relationship and where to go to find support, then its job is done. But I strongly hope it will also encourage many more people to donate because Refuge desperately needs more funds so that it can continue showing up every day for survivors of domestic abuse.”
AMV BBDO creative team Lauren Peters and Augustine Cerf said:
“Domestic abuse doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s not ‘just’ physical, or merely a private issue. It happens in the wider context of a misogynistic society. And as our society has evolved, so has abuse: becoming more insidious, creeping into every aspect of our lives, into our phones, our culture, our bank accounts, our streets as well as our homes. So, our ambition for this campaign, working alongside Refuge, survivors, Billie Piper and Georgi Banks-Davis, was to show the vast spectrum of abuse and the many ways Refuge help.
“Often, these stories aren’t told because they’re too difficult or dangerous to tell. Through Billie and the emotional, truthful force of her performance, we could protect the anonymity of the survivors, whilst giving a voice, and a platform, to their stories. It is a campaign extremely close to our hearts and was a privilege to work on. Whilst devastating in many ways, it has been inspiring, galvanising and hopeful too.”
A number of Refuge Ambassadors attended the screening event at SoHo House White City, in support of fellow Ambassador Billie, including Ellie Bamber, Chanita Stephenson, Nikita Kanda and Rosemary Reed.