Well-known actors, musicians, and public figures – 123 in total – have joined forces in a short film to highlight the issue of sexual violence for this year’s UN 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Singer-songwriters Self Esteem and Lianne La Havas, and actors Jason Isaacs, David Morrissey, Dame Harriet Walter, Saffron Burrows, Nathan Fillion and Lennie James are among the stars who feature in ‘I Want a 24 Hour Rape Truce…’
The film, being released on 25 November to coincide with the UN campaign, is inspired by a powerful 1983 address by American radical feminist Andrea Dworkin to a conference of 500 men, in which she asked them for a rape-free day. The use of Dworkin’s speech has been approved by her long-term partner and literary executor, John Stoltenberg.
In the speech, Dworkin asks: “And how could I ask you for less – it is so little. And how could you offer me less: it is so little. Even in wars, there are days of truce.”
The project was conceived by actor, writer, producer and director Lorien Haynes, who discovered Dworkin’s address while working on Punched – a fundraising project for Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity – in 2021 to raise awareness about the rise in abuse and sexual violence during the pandemic.
Lorien, a Refuge Champion, said: “This is a historical document, an incredibly powerful speech that was hard to know what to do with, because in principle you can’t campaign for a rape-free day – every day should be rape free.
“I wanted to get it out into the world as a question mark – a piece of critical thinking. It’s so provocative because you realise you’ve never thought about rape like that. You can have a ceasefire in war, but you can’t have a day where you ask men not to rape women.
“It really hammers home that rape and sexual violence are so normalised that we know asking for this is impossible.
“And when you think about it like this, of course we don’t have equality. While women are living in fear, equality isn’t possible. There’s no equivalent – men are not living in fear of women in that way.”
She added: “What I found additionally powerful was that actors and participants reading aloud became incredibly moved while they were doing it – as it landed – so we wanted to keep that in. I felt it was really important that you see the effect it was having on people as they said the words.”
Both men and women feature in the film to reflect that a world without rape is in everyone’s interest.
Lorien explains: “It felt so important that men and women could ask for this together. Many men are mindful and don’t want rape to exist, yet they’re rarely given a voice in this conversation.
“For that reason, the film is about people coming together as human beings, not as genders, to acknowledge the reality of sexual violence – something almost one in three women will experience in their lifetime. While rape can sometimes be a random act, most cases happen within homes, marriages, and relationships, which is why our partnership with Refuge is so vital.”
The project also partners with WOW – Women of the World, a global alliance driving an equal and inclusive future for women, girls and non-binary people. Its Founder Director Jude Kelly and CEO Colette Bailey appear in the film alongside Refuge CEO Gemma Sherrington.
The full film, with post-production completed by Goldcrest Films, is available on Refuge’s YouTube channel, with key sections to be shared on social media throughout the 16 Days of Activism, from 25 November to 10 December.
Viewers are encouraged to watch the film, share it with friends and family and join the conversation online using the hashtag #IWantA24HourRapeTruce.
Lorien said: “Our hope is that this piece will provoke discussion and questions about sexual violence and help lead survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence to a place where they can find support. In this country, Refuge provides that support – and there is no one I’d rather partner with.”
For anyone affected by domestic abuse, including sexual violence, Refuge offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.
