BRYANT — A poem written by a women’s shelter board member inspired an impactful film created by Bryant High School Film Production students. The video depicts domestic-violence survivors and advocates reciting the poem, “One in Four,” to raise awareness that one in four women are victims of domestic abuse.
Megan Greenland, board secretary for the Women’s Shelter of Central Arkansas in Conway, wrote the poem.
“The idea for the film just snowballed from there,” she said. “Another board member knew the film instructor at Bryant and suggested we involve the students to create a video to share with everyone.”
The video, which can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn174LAJKXY, is a public service announcement about the prominence of domestic violence, Greenland said.
“It shows not the myth, but the reality of it. The myth is that it only happens to poor women, but there are no barriers. She is the bank teller, the waitress, the lifeguard at the pool. She is the one who makes six figures, the woman who is unemployed. She is one in four.”
Three students worked on filming and editing the video. They were led by instructor James Paul.
Hannah Mitchell, 17, said she enjoyed meeting the victims of domestic violence and working with the employees and volunteers at the shelter, which has provided support to victims of family violence since 1995.
Mitchell said she was surprised to learn how common domestic violence is and how often people don’t survive it.
“I hope to remember how important it is to look for signs of an abuser in not only my relationships,” Mitchell said, “but also in others, to make sure I can get out before it’s too late.”
Mitchell said she also hopes the film opens up the eyes of its viewers to how easy it is to become a victim of domestic abuse and how easy it is to fail to notice when a friend or acquaintance has been a victim.
“This project has helped me realize that filmmaking isn’t just about getting likes or views,” Mitchell said. “It’s a great way to project a powerful message to a large amount of people and, hopefully, make a change for the better.”
Blake Brown, 17, said he thought more about the equality of men and women during and after working on the project.
“We should all be treated the same, and I came away from the film more grateful for certain things and people in my life,” he said.
Brown also said he enjoyed the experience of working firsthand with people who conquered tragic situations in life. In addition, he said he was surprised to learn that so many women are treated badly, and each one is just your “average, normal person.”
Selena Aguilar, 17, noted that the film group at Bryant High School makes many videos, but she is proud to have produced a film for such a good cause.
“We received the opportunity to create this video for women who are in need of help and safety,” Aguilar said. “We all know what domestic violence consists of and often hear about it on the news, but you don’t actually understand it until you hear these women’s personal stories. The fact that one in four women are victims of domestic violence is horrifying. I hope the people who see this video really take into consideration that there are many shelters out there, and you can find help.”
Many women may not think there is a way out of their abusive relationships, Aguilar said, but organizations like the Women’s Shelter of Central Arkansas make such a difference in protecting and caring for them.
“This project made me want to create more videos that affect people and their outlook on various things and situations,” Aguilar said. “In class, we make many comedy videos that mean something to us and make us laugh, but I would love to start reaching out to people in need and make videos for better causes.”
Greenland, events and communications director for Associated Builders and Contractors of Central Arkansas, has a background in graphic design and noted how impressed she is with Bryant High School’s film setup.
One in Four premiered at a special event in April, Greenland said, and is on the shelter’s website and shared on social media. The film will be used indefinitely to show the reality of domestic abuse and to reach those one in four women and their families who are affected by this type of violence.