Look and Act - Stop violence against women

Violence against women is often covered up, although it takes place at all levels of society. This documentary looks at the work of people who are fighting to protect women. It took Romy Stangl twelve years before she could speak about her experience. Her supposed "dream man" turned out to be physically abusive. The nightmare only ended when Romy saved herself by going to a women's shelter. She decided to allow her portrait to be taken by photographer Irina Unruh for the project "Breaking the Silence of Domestic Violence." Romy says: "Now I'd like to give other women strength." Criminologist Jane Monckton Smith learned just how deadly domestic violence can be when working as a police officer. The filmmakers speak with Monckton Smith, who is now a professor at the University of Gloucester, about her eight-stage model to help police in recognizing homicide risks in relationships early on. She says, "Alleged crimes of passion are often premeditated, cold-blooded murder." The documentary also examines a program in Vienna for victims' neighbors and a project in Berlin dedicated to teaching school pupils what psychological violence is and why it is unacceptable.