Call Me Dad
A story about men who have perpetrated or are at risk of perpetrating family violence.
At stake is the safety of children and partners, the stability of families, and the power we as a society have to intervene. These men have problems expressing anger, and other strong emotions, without resorting to abuse, verbal or physical. We follow these men as they attempt to change and heal their most precious relationships.
2015 Pitch
Funds raised: $20,450
Film director Sophie Weisner pitched to The Funding Network in April 2015 and received $20,450 along with pro-bono services. Funds facilitated by TFN were used to develop professional education kits and a workshop plan to accompany the film, used in Australian communities to prevent and intervene in family violence situations.
The impact...
“Nearly 1 in 3 women suffer abuse at the hands of a partner or ex-partner,” the beginning of the Call Me Dad trailer tells us; then, “Nearly 1 in 4 children suffer abuse at the hands of a parent or carer.” The statistics are familiar, but shocking every time. Call Me Dad is unique. Men are the protagonists, but they are by no means Hollywood heroes. They are central to the story of ending family violence, only as they begin to take responsibility for perpetrating it themselves. The film’s approach has been wonderfully successful.
Frontline services working against family violence are using TFN funds plus using the resources to employ an Impact Producer to plan for the film’s role in furthering the fight against domestic violence into the future. Since the pitch to TFN, Call Me Dad has been broadcast to 500,000 Australians on the ABC, has enjoyed over 50 screenings in various community settings, and has screened to various Parliaments. It was shown to the commissioners of the Royal Commission into Family Violence in Victoria and taken into consideration for their report.
A young woman who saw Call Me Dad said something about the film that Sophie says is not uncommon, and that solidifies the ongoing importance of the film. The woman said, “Your doco helped to explain many emotions I've seen my family go through, and helped shine light on many situations that I took to be normal, that my friends don't understand... Thank you for making a film that makes me not feel so alone, or weird or abnormal. You have validated the experience of the people who have lived through domestic violence… and are helping people heal and change for the better.”
Read their Impact Report
Learn more about Call Me Dad.
Supporting Sustainable Development Goal:
