Fundraising walk for Whiplash, a film on abuse of women, childrenNozizwe Madlala-Routledge, former Deputy Minister of Health, members of NGOs and project supporters will accompany local filmmaker Meg Rickards as far as Woodstock Police Station, as Rickards walks 26km from the Cape Town City Hall to Muizenberg, dressed in a petticoat and with painted-on bruises. (video) This performance art piece, on the eve of Women's Day, is to build support for a film that Rickards is directing to help break the silence around the abuse of women and children. The Whiplash team is collaborating with South Africa's online crowdfunding website Thundafund. Due to the difficult subject matter, Rickards has decided to look at innovative ways of raising the necessary finance, whilst also building a community around the project. Whiplash tells the story of Tess, a prostitute whom, as a child, a close family member has repeatedly abused. As a young adult, she is battered and raped. When Tess discovers she is pregnant, she is ambushed by shocking memories and has to face her buried shame to learn to live, dance and love. "This film challenges the pervasive culture of abuse and violence in South Africa head-on," says Rickards, "and is ultimately a story of redemption." The story and the camera"As a woman, mother and filmmaker, I feel compelled to act against one of the most devastating plagues in our society using the tools at my disposal - the story and the camera. By bringing Whiplash to the screen, we hope to make a contribution to changing hearts and minds through the power of narrative, and to challenge the culture of impunity around rape." The aim of the walk is to create a community of interest around the production of the film, as well as to attract financial support for the film via the local crowd-funding platform Thundafund. The project already has the backing of the National Film and Video Foundation and the Department of Trade and Industry. However, the filmmakers need to raise the last 30% of the budget - an additional R1 million - before shooting can start. |