The extraordinary journey of One Womans fight to help abused women around the world.
FIGHTING BACK is a full length documentary following the work of the not for profit charity Action Breaks Silence and Debi Steven the founder.
Debi Steven is a self defence instructor, 4th degree Black belt in Shotokan karate and a rape survivor. Orginally from South Africa she has over 20 years' experience in teaching personal safety and self- defence and has taught in South Africa, India, Scotland and Canada. She currently lives and teaches in the UK. •Debi is an Advanced Level self-defence instructor with SELF-DEFENCE FEDERATION INTERNATIONAL and was the first UK affiliated instructor of Richard Dmitri, the world-renowned head of Senshido, Canada &bull. After hearing of the horrors occurring to young women and children in India Debi travelled there in 2013 to teach self defense and Action Break Silence was created.
Initially, Debi Steven and two of her instructors went to India and taught a self defence workshop for the members of The Red Brigade, a vigilance group whose members are all survivors of the most brutal sexual violence and rape. The Red Brigade is a group of 30 or more women who patrol the streets and markets of Lucknow and other communities in the state of Uttar Pradesh to identify men who are harassing women and, if necessary, intervene.
Fighting Back is a film which follows the story of Debi Steven and her not for profit organisation Action Breaks Silence to India and captures the stories and training of young women and girls in the most underprivileged areas of India. It is an expose on the horrors of gang and individual rape which occurs every 20 minutes in India.
Fighting Back will be a front line expose capturing how empowering these women physically and emotionally may change the way men treat them. Our goal is to produce a film that highlights and informs everyone of the amazing work One Woman is doing to change the future for these girls and women. All it takes is one person to create change and with your help we would like to support Debi and Action Break Silence by raising awareness about her campaign though film.
The film will focus on Debi and her team and how the impact they have in creating hope and change in some of the most dangerous parts of the slums of India. These girls are amazing. They want to learn how to fight back - in fact they are angry. They are desperate for the tools that can help them stay safe. This film is something that has to be made. It will be an inspiration for women and girls all over the world and hopefully an education for the men who perpetrate these crimes.
£30,000 is the minimum we can make this project for but any extra will allow us to hire better equipment, more crew and push the marketing of the film to make sure this charity and Debi Steven are supported in their desire to help women.
Any funds raised on this site over our goal amount of £30000 we will be donating 50% directly to Action break Silence.
About Us
Shay Kuehlmann - co-founder of www.dogskyfilms.com
Director Writer Producer
Originally from Australia, Shay studied as an actress at The Actors Centre, Sydney before moving to Los Angeles to study filmmaking at UCLA. After graduating she worked as a writer / director on several shorts in the US before moving to London to set up DogSky Films in late 2012. Since then Shay has produced, written and directed several shorts and in 2013 she directed her first feature 'Headlock Security' with Kate Roxburgh.
Kate Roxburgh - co-founder of www.dogskyfilms.com
Director Writer Producer
Kate has an MFA in Acting & Directing from the University of Montana, USA.! After graduating she went to live and work in Los Angeles as both an actor and director during which she wrote & directed several short films including 'Elephant' with Amy Stiller. Kate moved back to her home town of London 3 years ago to continue working in film and started DogSky Films in 2012.
The owner of this project has not made any updates yet.