Private Violence (2014)

Private Violence is a 2014 American documentary film directed and produced by Cynthia Hill. The film focuses on the issue of domestic violence, as told through two survivors. Ultimately, the film centers on dispelling the logic of the commonly asked question: “Why didn’t she just leave?”

Private Violence premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition program at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014, where it won the Candescent Award. The film was also shown at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, True/False Film Festival, Dallas International Film Festival, HotDocs Film Festival, and the Doxa Documentary Film Festival. It won the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights at Full Frame and the Silver Heart Award at the Dallas International Film Festival.

On July 16, 2015, the film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in the Outstanding Information Programing – Long Form category. HBO Documentary Films first broadcast Private Violence on October 20, 2014. HBO films and Women Make Movies are both distributors.

Synopsis

The film narrates the story of domestic violence survivors: Kit Gruelle, a domestic violence victim turned advocate who seeks justice for all violence survivors, and Deanna Walters, whose estranged husband Robbie kidnapped and beat her for four days in the cab of his truck but was not arrested for it.