"Silence leads nowhere" Student film maker shadowing her own story of abuse in award winning documentary

Award winning documentry on domestic violence

Source: Bushra Khanum

SBS Urdu

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Bushra Khanum's student documentary is based on her own personal experience of family violence. She says that domestic violence continues not because of a lack of government or legal support, but a community mindset that often forces girls to live in an abusive relationship.

Domestic violence incidents have

soared

during the coronavirus pandemic. The Australian government has made efforts to strengthen domestic violence support and awareness services, but one young victim has decided to highlight the issue by shooting her own experience for a global audience in a documentary that has caught the eye of an international film festival.

Bushra Khanum has been honored with a global award for her student film inspired by her own domestic violence experiences
She says it's not a lack of government support or laws but the community mindset that forces girls to live in an abusive relationship.
Shooting the film during the pandemic was a challenge.

Source: Bushra Khanum

Bushra Khanum graduated from Sydney's

SAE Creative Media Institute

and her film "Chained to Traditions" has won a merit award at the

IndieFEST Film Awards

Bushra managed to escape from an abusive relationship in Pakistan, but not with the help of any peer, close relative, or friend, but with the help of a maid working in her ex-husband's house.

She now shares her story with others in a film written and directed by her.

"I want to convey the message to others that family violence is not only limited to bodily harm or physical torture but having deep mental and psychological impact that can occasionally last for one's entire life", she told SBS Urdu.

Is community in denial of occurrence of domestic violence?

She explains that one might not expect family violence within a financially sound and well-educated family living in the capital city of her native country Pakistan.

My ex-husband was doing an MPhil, my mother-in-law held three masters degrees and my father-in-law was a PhD doctor with two presidential awards, yet the abuse continued for three years under their roof.

Recalling those days of abuse, Bushra says that she was not allowed to contact the outside world or make complaints about the on-going violence and even her mother-in-law didn't support her.

"I did not have the courage to share the dilemma but the housemaid assisted me in reaching out for help," she added.

Man denied Australian citizenship for historical domestic violence conviction

There are many support groups, NGOs, and government-supported assistance programs available in Pakistan and Australia, and strong laws are also in place. So why domestic violence is still a taboo in various migrant communities?

Answering the question, Bushra says that It is not the lack of government support or laws but a community mindset that forces girls to live in an abusive relationship. "If a victim attempts to break down an abusive relationship then peers and friends try to convince the victim to keep silent for fear of what others will say about them”, she added.

Bushra agrees that marrying a girl off at a very young age, even before she finishes a proper education, plays a major role in why girls are forced to live in an abusive relationship as they are unable to stand on their feet.

Proper education and financial independence play a key role in escaping the domestic violence

Source: Bushra Khanum

SAE film faculty and mentor Renee Brack noticed Bushra's talent first.

"I encourage students to make impactful content that could change the world and add to our understanding. This is something Bushra has accomplished," Renee said.

Covid-19 has impacted every walk of life and Bushra's project was not an exception.

She says that the biggest challenge was to shoot the film with in-house limited gathering restrictions with around 25 people in the team.

"My team worked tirelessly with a passion as many of the cast members were Indian and they equally found the subject close to their hearts as we Pakistani feels about it," she added.

Bushra received an award for merit for her film in The Indie Fest Film Awards - which attracts newcomers to the industry as well as veteran filmmakers.

Source: Bushra Khanum

Bushra says she wants the migrant community of the Indian subcontinent to feel the pain and stigma of innocent victims of family violence.

"Victims can not come out of the painful life only because of a taboo and overused cliche in the Urdu language "Log Kia Kahey Gey" (meaning what people will say).

I want to highlight the women's issues as a contributing wave into the ocean of efforts on feminist issues

She wants to make her career in film production and is currently developing a production company. Bushra says that she wants to produce more films on unheard issues besides women's issues which are close to her chest.