There is no age at which you are safe from domestic abuse and there is no age barrier to coming out with your experiences. Ronnie, an 82-year-old survivor, came out in the open about her experiences when volunteers from the local Domestic Violence Response Team empowered her to share her trauma with the Woodridge Police Department. Having dealt with decades of abuse; emotional, mental, and physical; the survivor recalls the conditions under which she remained silent, hoping things will soon improve. But with time, she realized that there was never any getting away from the abusive relationship.
‘Ronnie’s Story’ is a short documentary directed by Donna Roman Hernandez. In this brief 20 minutes, Donna takes the viewer through the entire life of her subject. She presents the actual picture of the life journey of her survivor and the junctures at which she had encountered abuse. This puts things in perspective and helps understand why she remained complacent and helpless in those situations. It conveys the importance of an external support system that goes beyond the state machinery and the authorities. In the end, it was the local group of volunteers voicing their concerns about domestic abuse that urged the survivor to come out in the open and report her case. The documentary has kept its narrative simple, focusing on the life story of the survivor, so that one is invested in Ronnie and her story. We also see the power of the support system and the confidence it instils in others to come out with their stories.
Only when we start conversations about uncomfortable topics can we bring out the crimes that have gone unpunished. These awkward conversations are important, even if they turn unpleasant, as they will deter those who resort to violence at home to vent their frustrations. There are many demons walking free in civil society wearing flimsy masks that hide their true faces. Such conversations unmask them.
