The social impact of film

How do you create a better society? How do you create social change? Film is one of the most powerful tools we have.

These questions challenge politicians, sociologists, theologians and many other members of society.

From being questions of morality they are increasingly becoming questions of practicality. The escalating cost of fixing problems, whether they are related to health, justice or the environment, is becoming unsustainable.

Focus needs to be placed on prevention to tackle the escalating challenges.

Individually and as a society, how can we reduce smoking, violence, obesity, waste, abuse, heart disease, stress, mental illness? How can we change patterns of behaviour? Awareness, understanding, leadership, communication, political will and co-ordinated action all play their part.

The impact of film on society

Film can be used to reach a wide audience, to inform and inspire change through engaging audiences and reflecting society.

Social drama, the genre we take our name from, unites people in a common sense of humanity and shared responsibility, which gives it added power to help foster positive change.

Through integration into social marketing and change programmes, social drama has the potential to make people take notice, get the process of change going and to sustain it. The genre has brought silence to audiences, has had people clamouring to talk and engendered desire for personal and social change.

Social dramas do more than raise awareness. They draw you into the story and the lives of the characters. They make you feel how the characters feel to give you a deep understanding of the situation, they get under your skin, challenge your perceptions, raise consciousness and stay with you long after watching the film. They have the ability to soften and dissolve personal barriers and prejudices, ready for change to take place.

After watching a social drama, you feel compelled to talk, to take some action, to do something to deal with what has been shown or left unresolved in the film. At conferences and training events, our films have been used to:

• Wake up and challenge audiences

• Prompt self-reflection about one’s own attitudes

• Stimulate group discussion about how an issue has arisen and what could have been done differently

• Create deeper understanding and a desire for further learning

Film and domestic abuse

Around one in four women in England and Wales experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives, and so do many men. Expectations about what is and isn’t acceptable in relationships need to change. As a society we need to find ways to challenge and change our perceptions and foster safer, more inclusive communities.

By speaking to the heart, drama creates the emotional and intellectual understanding on which other initiatives can be launched and made more effective.

Leaving is an award-winning social drama used to explore domestic violence.

Leaving depicts one woman’s attempt to leave an abusive relationship. The film speaks to different audiences in different ways. You are able to relate to the drama and the characters in a way that is appropriate for you, given who you are and your past experiences.

Last Date condenses the gradual nature of psychological and physical abuse into a single night. The viewer witnesses how abusive behaviour can take control of a person’s life and how it can escalate to trap them in a dangerous, repetitive cycle.

There are many different initiatives in place across the country to reduce domestic abuse.

These include:

• Specialist domestic abuse courts

• Domestic abuse forums

• Prevention programmes with young people

• Training programmes

Social drama can form an integral part of all these initiatives. Since its release, Leaving has been rolled out with organisations that work to reduce domestic abuse or have a statutory responsibility for it, and it is part of many training and change programmes. Last Date and One in Five are used in the same way.

For more information on how to use our films as part of an integrated awareness-raising and change programme on domestic abuse, please contact us.