Trainer and Left Write Hook producer, Donna Lyon.

Following the black carpet World Premiere screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival this week, Left Write Hook has announced a national theatrical release for 24 October.  With screens in Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne plus the recently announced CinefestOZ in WA – more people will get the opportunity to see this important documentary that aims to reclaim the conversation and rewrite perceptions around sexual abuse.

Directed by Shannon Owen, in collaboration with boxing instructor and trauma survivor Donna Lyon – who also serves as producer on the film along with Sweetshop and Green – the documentary explores how the physicality of boxing combined with the emotional power of creative writing can create a space for survivors to release their memories, reclaim their bodies, and imagine new lives for themselves.

Donna Lyon, trainer and producer, said, “Making Left Write Hook has been a huge and overwhelming process, but it has transformed my life. We are building a community of empowered survivors and I am so thankful for the strength and the vulnerability of the film’s participants. We have an incredible amount of supporters in our community and I hope that the Left Write Hook charity we have set up will help to grow our vision and help survivors and their families heal and thrive.”

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The feature documentary follows seven survivors of childhood sexual abuse who respond to a call-out to take part in an experimental recovery program. Addressing both the physical and emotional impacts of trauma, the program begins as an eight-week workshop but becomes a multi-year journey that reveals complex histories and unforeseen possibilities.

Producer, Gal Greenspan of Sweetshop & Green, said of the documentary, “We are so pleased to have created Left Write Hook with Shannon and Donna. It’s an incredibly powerful piece of work and so important to destigmatise conversations around sexual abuse. We believe in the power of film to inspire change and this one definitely will.”

Shannon Owen, the film’s director added, “Left Write Hook speaks to the power of transformation that can happen when people come together and share stories. This happened in a profound way during the workshops and it continues now into the shared space of cinema. The film is ultimately an uplifting journey despite the issue of childhood sexual abuse at it’s core.  As the incredible film participants remind me, this film is about letting other survivors know they are not alone. It’s also a call for social and systemic change so that together, we can shift the burden of responsibility away from the children and the adult survivors and ultimately toward a society where we no longer accept the shocking statistics of childhood sexual abuse. Sharing these stories and opening up dialogue is an important step toward this.”

Left Write Hook is a Sweetshop & Green production. Major production investment from Screen Australia. Financed with support from VicScreen, Mindaroo Pictures, The University of Melbourne and the Melbourne International Film Festival Premiere Fund. Bonsai Films are distributing the film in Australia.

Left Write Hook is a powerful and timely exploration of resilience, expression, and healing.

Details about the remaining Melbourne International Film Festival screenings here. 

Details about the upcoming CinefestOZ screenings here. 

See it in cinemas from 24 October 2024. For more information and screening details visit http://www.leftwritehook.film