To a Safer Place

Sylvie's Story is part of the series The Next Step, which examines the services needed by and available to battered women. The film recreates the experience of Sylvie, a battered woman who seeks shelter in a Montréal transition house. Faced with the threat of violence, loneliness, the lack of financial resources or information about services, the victim is often understandably reluctant to seek help. The film emphasizes the importance for women of speaking out and sharing their experiences with other women. The film also points out the role of the transition house in putting the battered woman in touch with appropriate legal and social services.

In a small village in Jharkhand, India, Ranjit wakes up to find that his 13-year-old daughter has not returned home from a family wedding. Calls are made, a search ensues, and a few hours later, she's found stumbling home. After being dragged into the woods she was sexually assaulted by three men, all of whom are known to the family. Ranjit and his wife go to the police, and the men are arrested. But the family's relief is short-lived when the villagers and their leaders launch a sustained campaign to force Ranjit to drop the charges. They demand the girl marry one of her rapists-a tried and true community solution. This, they feel, is the only way to restore her honour and that of the community. Ranjit defies their edict and embarks on a perilous journey, navigating both the labyrinth of India's courts and the rising dangers in his village. A cinematic, David and Goliath story, To Kill a Tiger follows Ranjit's uphill battle to find justice for his child. In India, where a rape is reported every 20 minutes and conviction rates are less than 30 percent, Ranjit's decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented. His stand piques the interest of the Srijan Foundation, an NGO working to sensitize men and boys on women's rights. They look to Ranjit as a poster boy for their work and an inspiration to other men. Their support, along with the presence of the camera crew, fuels the ire of the villagers, and as the trial gets underway, threats of violence begin to loom. Ostracized by the community, dealing with mounting debt and fearing for himself and his family, Ranjit's composure begins to crack, and the whole process is in danger of being derailed. With tremendous access to all facets of this story, To Kill a Tiger charts the emotional journey of an ordinary man facing extraordinary circumstances. A father whose love for his daughter forces a social reckoning that will reverberate for years to come.

Moving On is part of the series The Next Step, which examines the services needed by and available to battered women. This film looks at the problem of wife assault in London, Ontario, a rare model community that has effectively responded with a coordinated effort by police, lawyers, doctors, transition house staff, women's groups, and social services agencies. The London Battered Women's Advocacy Clinic and "Changing Ways," a therapy program for men who batter, are also part of the city's innovative attempt to break the cycle of violence. Part of a series of three films.