ARMOUR

I started writing ARMOUR during the first Covid lockdown, when cases of domestic violence were rising exponentially. A study conducted by MSI Reproductive Choices found a 33% rise in domestic violence reports under Covid-19 lockdown, and a 10% increase in female victims under the age of 18 . Domestic abuse often goes undetected for a long time, stemming back to the fact that historically and for centuries, rape within marriage was not rendered illegal as it was considered the husband’s spousal right to have intercourse with their wife. The National Coalition against Domestic Violence (NCADV) provides data that in society today, ‘between 14% and 25% of women are sexually assaulted by intimate partners (spouse or boyfriend) during their relationship’ (2022) . Thus, evidentially this issue is still very pertinent today, and whilst people can read these statistics, I believe there is nothing more impactful than a human story to move, provoke thought and action on a social cause.

I wrote this film with the intention to reach a wide audience, but particularly young women, to raise awareness around subtle signs of domestic abuse, be it emotional manipulation, controlling attitudes or sexual pressure. My intention is for the film to encourage people to recognise signs of toxic behaviour, which may otherwise be dismissed or ignored, before it escalates. I also believe that it’s important for men to see this film, to be able to recognise this kind of behaviour that has been normalised within the culture of toxic masculinity, either in themselves or to be able to call out male friends or family members.