It has been documented in many studies and by experts in the field, that incidents of domestic violence actually increase during holidays. It’s a disturbing fact that a trio of filmmakers have decided to address on screen, in a film titled “Shut Up Silence,” and they have launched an Indiegogo campaign to help finance it.
The Chicago-based, all-female production company, Noisemakers Entertainment – founded by writer director Natasha Parker, along with partners LaTrice Edwards and Adrienne Swan – are currently in development on “Shut Up Silence” which they say will “highlight the fall-out from abusive relationships on college campuses.”
Ms. Parker says the inspiration for the film came from her own personal experience: “I am a writer, producer, director and survivor of domestic abuse. For so long, I was reluctant to share my ordeal and caved to the accepted societal norm of suffering in silence… The holidays are especially hard when abusers take out their depression, loneliness or whatever issues they face on their victims.”
She continued:. “My silence almost killed me. The embarrassment. The sadness. Feeling alone and misunderstood, fighting for what I believed was love. This film is for couples who struggle in silence and the close knit circle that becomes entangled in the relationship.”
She also added that: “There are so many young women and girls who are in abusive relationships and either don’t realize it or need help confronting their circumstances. This film will help them see that it’s time to get out or their life may depend on it.”
The film is set on a university campus where “the lead character finds herself in a relationship with her college sweetheart that seems impossible to walk away from. A roller coaster of events, including ignored abuse, lead to a critical choice she must make between freedom and love.”
Noisemaker co-partner LaTrice Edwards said that the film is vital because, “not only do we feel compelled to help Natasha tell her story, but we want to save lives too.”
Ms. Parker, who is member of the Director’s Guild of America, is a Chicago native and as an independent filmmaker with several short films to her credit. She has also worked on various Hollywood and independent productions such as “Transformers 3”, “Empire”, “Man of Steel”, and “Chiraq.”
Ms. Edwards is a professional film and TV make-up artist with many films and TV shows to her credit, as well as a business entrepreneur; while Adrienne Swan has been a professional film production accountant in both New York and L.A. for over 20 years.
Watch their video pitch for “Shut Up Silence” below, and then visit their Indiegogo page for the fundraising campaign here.
