Before filming and translating, two focus groups were organized in which charities/support groups representatives and service users, filmmakers, and language professionals were put into conversation. Doing so enable us to consider the perspectives of all participants and produce a film that reflects their goals, expectations, experiences and needs so that the project offer practical solutions for more ethical representations of Gender-Based Violence survivors. Questionnaires were used during the focus groups and after the focus groups. Responses from these questionnaires and from discussions held on the day were used to devise guidelines for filmmakers to work with survivors and language professionals.


The first focus group was held on February 24th 2022 with documentary directors, language professionals and charities/support groups representatives. The second focus group, held in March 2022, involved service users from Saheliya interested in taking part in the documentary. Charlotte Bosseaux and Ling Lee met with them to discuss the main points that came out of the first focus group as well as their expectations and needs before the start of the filming.

 

The first focus group on February 24th 2022 gathered 15 participants which discussed in three groups led by three facilitators:

FACILITATORS

AMY BEDDOWS
Amy Beddows is a PhD student at London Metropolitan University, researching women’s experiences of victim blame from agencies. She also has a special interest in media representations of violence against women. She lives in Edinburgh and works as a trauma therapist.
https://www.amybeddows-therapy.com/

MARK BRADSHAW
Mark Bradshaw has a background in linguistics, teaching and has an MSc in Translation from Edinburgh University, where he focussed on audio-visual, feminist and comics translation. Since then he has worked as a freelance translator – translating his first graphic novel from Spanish to English in 2021 for a Spanish feminist writer/influencer  – and as project manager at Screen Language. He has also hosted pub quizzes, both live and online, since 2018, and has facilitated workshops and staff training sessions at numerous schools and summer camps.
https://thecomictranslator.wixsite.com/mysite

IFFAT SHAHNAZ
As lifelong campaigner committed to social justice and equality, Iffat works with a diverse range of organisations across the UK and Internationally. She specialises in gender equality, community development, facilitation, organisational improvement and change management. She is on the Board of Engender Scotland and a Trustee with Link Education International.
https://iffatshahnaz.wordpress.com

PARTICIPANTS

LEA LUIZ DE OLIVEIRA
https://www.spititoutproject.com/lea

INMA DE REYES
www.inmadereyes.co.uk

ANTHONY ONI
https://www.raredialects.com/

SARAH ISMAEL

ANNE MILNE
https://annemilne.com/

ALASTAIR COLE
tonguetiedfilms.co.uk

CHALLENGING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
https://www.infosource.org.uk/

SAHELIYA
https://www.saheliya.co.uk/