Left Write Hook (MA 15+)

Chances have it that you know a survivor of childhood sexual assault. A colleague, a friend, even a family member. But the odds are you probably won’t realise it. It is the part of their life story that will be kept hidden from view - a dark secret, a social taboo, unseen and unsaid, often remaining hidden at the expense of their own physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

Enter Left Write Hook, an experimental eight-week recovery program combining the physical release of boxing with the emotional outlet of creative writing.

Seven survivors of childhood sexual abuse respond to a call-out to take part in an experimental recovery program. Designed by boxing coach, academic and survivor herself, Donna Lyon, the program addresses both the physical and emotional impacts of trauma through a unique combination of boxing and creative writing. But what begins as an eight-week plan for the participants soon becomes much more.

Over the course of eighteen months, with intimate and privileged access, we follow their journeys, forging bonds that lead to unexpected transformations. Left Write Hook is a powerful and timely exploration of resilience, expression and healing that will redefine what it means to be a survivor of childhood sexual abuse in Australia.

Director: Shannon Owen