The Blog of Kim Kandler
on Sustainable Humanity
Join the crowdfunding
Awakening will be a documentary film about psychological violence
"IT WAS THE FEAR I HAD WHY I DIDN'T LEAVE BEFORE. I WAS CONSTANTLY BEING THREATENED.“
Awakening is a documentary film that I want to shoot in Europe, Brazil and Israel this year. In this film, I would like to shed light on the problem of psychological violence (e.g. narcissism) against women, but without being against men across the board. Nobody is “better” than the other. I'm looking for a new model of masculinity and femininity, away from toxic, patriarchal, chauvinistic behavior patterns in relationships.
Below is the teaser video with information on the topic, background, and the problem. It gives you an idea of what the movie will be about. Watch here:
I'm looking for people who care about this issue as much as I do. I am looking for idealists who have not lost their optimism, and who wish for a better world despite all the challenges - and who also want to contribute something themselves so that things change for the better.
In a crowdfunding campaign, many supporters pay a small amount. If you could also participate, I would be happy. But you don't have to pay anything yet. I'm just „gathering“ emails of people with an interest for now.
DO YOU ALSO THINK THIS FILM NEEDS TO BE MADE?
If yes, enter below to learn more
If you have any questions about the production, organization, financing or the team, you can contact me directly:
Kim Kandler
Mobile & Whatsapp: +972-544-273228 (I’m currently in Israel)
Email: Please use the contact form
On my ABOUT page page I’m telling more about what is important to me as a filmmaker.
Want to read more about what I have researched so far?
here is the full story
Patriarchy still rules
Patriarchy is still strong in part of the population, independent of social class. There is a thinking that men can do anything unpunished, and women can do nothing against men and have to obey. Such people oppress women, which in turn find it difficult to escape and lead an independent life.
It's a vicious cycle
Victims become independent
Impact of the film on society
Wide dissemination of the film could reduce the number of women in abusive relationships by informing and educating both women and men in all layers of society.
Expected positive effects
What is the film about?
Awakening is an in-depth documentary film about how to end domestic violence and abusive relationships; it's for both women and men and contains over 90 minutes of information for victims and supporters.
logline
A young mother who seeks an harmonious marriage suddenly begins to be threatened and beaten in front of her son by her husband. Slowly, she finds out he is a narcissist. Fearing for her life, she has to find a way to escape with her son.
Film synopsis
The documentary follows several victims from different social classes in three countries (Brazil, Israel, Germany) showing the trajectory of violence from marriage to awakening after separation. These women were abused by narcissistic psychopaths and managed to escape alive. The pattern of abuse is always similar:
In the countryside an 18-year-old teenage girl falls in love with an eloquent man who makes her feel like a princess. For the first time in her life she receives affection, or is simply an idealistic romantic, and soon agrees to marry. But she doesn't know that this guy is not looking for love. He is looking for a victim to dominate at any cost. After the birth of her first child, her husband unexpectedly becomes a monster because he has managed to make her totally dependent on him. She has become his prisoner and any attempt to escape is met with violence. Some family members become conniving. Others don't believe her. She acts confused and intimidated. He looks confident and plays the nice guy. After many years of despair and torture, she feels her life is in danger, and makes the decision to flee with the children. Still being persecuted and threatened, she manages to start a new life and distance herself with the help of new friends and family members. Today she regained her dignity that a criminal once tried to eliminate.
Participants
As we show the victims’ journeys, each victim relates about the conflicts she had to face throughout the relationship. The documentary shows how victims are first robbed of all dignity, how they manage to awaken and evolve, how they manage to escape, and how they begin an independent life.
Psychologists and psychiatrists, lawyers, clergymen, police officers, delegates and prosecutors, politicians, support groups, and social workers are examples of professionals who have contact with victims and will therefore be invited to provide their point of view and contribute important insights into combating domestic violence.
Can this film stop narcissism?
Background
Domestic violence happens behind closed doors and is therefore not visible to the public. Family members like his father or mother sometimes even support the abuser. And because the abuser controls vast aspects of the victim's life, from physical movements to bank accounts, it is almost impossible for victims to escape.
Those who try to escape, while still having to take care of the children, are risking their lives. The abusers are psychopathic narcissists who know how to give the appearance of normal behavior while being violent towards the victim. It is an invisible and dangerous behavioral disorder.
Our Aim
With Awakening we also want to prevent women from becoming victims of narcissists. In Brazil, for example, more than half of all women are victims of an invisible tragedy of gigantic proportions. Every day teenagers end up in a relationship with psychopaths who only look for victims to dominate.
Without much of the population being clearly aware of this danger, and without solutions, society remains ill-prepared and therefore unable to break this vicious cycle that weakens society from within, generating more and more narcissism and thus further fostering patriarchy.
What we need to do
To combat this cycle we need to:
- show how to identify narcissistic psychopaths and their characteristics;
- educate teenagers about when a relationship is abusive and when it is normal;
- show how to get out of an abusive relationship;
- explain that victims do not "like to suffer" or are “in the relationship because they want to be";
- give easy and immediate support to victims;
- report abuse and encourage victims not to feel shame or guilt;
- encourage being independent and give tools to start a new beginning.
Throughout the film we are looking for a new model of masculinity and femininity that would redefine the role of women and men in a relationship
Thoughts
Why it's important to make this film?
Freedom means not being afraid. I don't want to feel fear ever again; for myself, for my daughter, and for all women.
Marianna Barbosa
Actress
was a Victim of domestic violence
It's important for women to see that all of us at some point are victims of violence and that you don't need to be ashamed or afraid to expose or blame yourself for what you are going through. It happens inside our homes, and not only in books and soap operas.
SAmira pereira
attorney-at-law
was a Victim of domestic violence
It's important to properly remind the public. And also to give those women courage, in their hopeless situation as I was, to give hope that you can continue, and that you can get a good life someday.
Maria K.
lives in greece
was a victim of domestic violence
I was in an abusive relationship from 19 to 33. It took me a long time to free myself due to lack of information. One of my goals is to help women who are still in an abusive relationship and provide them with the information they need.
Marilia Dias
teacher
was a victim of domestic violence
Violence against women is "a terrible epidemic that needs to be eradicated."
gal gadot
BUT...
“This is surreal,” Iranian women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad tweeted after Iran joined the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women. “A regime that treats women as 2nd class citizens, jails them for not wearing compulsory hijab, bans them from singing, bars them from stadiums & doesn’t let them travel abroad without the permission of their husbands gets elected to UN’s top women’s rights body.”
AND...
"Violence against women is everywhere."
united nations
About the production of Awakening
The documentary will be filmed in Brazil, Israel and Germany, in the cities of the victims and the interviewed families, and in the locations of the various other participants. Local production teams assist according to the scope of the shooting in each location.
The final list of participants, the script, and the schedule will be finalized in the pre-production phase after the crowdfunding. The start of the filming is planned for the 2022 and the film is expected to be ready for release by December.
We intend to produce it at a the highest standard possible that the budget allows in terms of length, artistic value, and editing.
In parallel to the release of the film, we will ship the rewards to contributors. A premium version of the film in 4K will be made available exclusively to contributors via Blu-Ray disk or a streaming service.
Starting 2023, a downsized HD version of the film could be distributed via social media (Youtube, IGTV, Facebook Watch) for maximum global reach. We would also enroll the film in a number of international film festivals, and check licensing opportunities vis-a-vis broadcasters and streaming networks.
What additional value does the film offer?
shifting attention to abusers
- Women shouldn't be left alone to deal with this problem alone. It's also a problem of men who should help solve it.
- It's not only a list of reasons why we have domestic violence. It's also a list of things men and women can do to reduce DV.
- Since men are causing the problem, they should also start to care about a solution. It involves men to help women end violence.
Insightful and convenient to share
- It's a compendium of up-to-date information from experts and from victims who are now independent, sharing their insights and advice.
- The film offers insights, ideas and knowledge that victims cannot find elsewhere.
- As a film it's easy to pass around and to watch; easier than reading a book. You can watch it anywhere, on mobile and computers.
Supporting victims
- 50% of the film is dedicated to explaining the different forms of psychological violence; what's normal and what isn't; 50% is dedicated to showing and giving ideas about possible ways to escape and reduce DV.
- Any money we raise that is beyond the amount we need to make and distribute the film, will go to providing legal support for victims.
What the film is not about
- Political viewpoints or a hidden agenda (because we're independent).
- Saying women are better than men or vice versa (because we believe in gender equality).
- Blaming or diminishing someone (because we believe in mutual respect).
- Discouraging marriage or relationships (because we believe in the power of love).
Film crowdfunding and the rewards
I want to invite you to make a small contribution to a crowdfunding campaign I'm going to launch, in a few weeks. You’ll get a series of rewards to choose from. So it’s like buying, say, a movie ticket upfront.
Crowdfunding means funding a project by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people. It allows me to make this film in an independent way. Your contribution is not a donation. We'll offer a number of rewards, starting from as low as $10. Each has a specific value and benefit. You choose.
The campaign platform pools all the contributions together and pays me what I managed to collect. Ideally, I would be looking to raise a budget in the range between $90,000 and $265,000, depending on the type of merchandise and benefits offered.
Examples of rewards
Film on blu-ray
A premium version of the film in 4K will be made available exclusively to contributors via Blu-Ray disk or a streaming service. This comes handy as a collectible in a frame on your wall, or when you want to make offline copies for friends.
limited edition t-shirt
A purple colored premium T-shirt with the Awakening logo and name, with a uniquely branded label. Women and men can choose from a number of fits and sizes. Because it’s a cool T-shirt that spreads a positive vibe, we’ll also send you a second unsigned T-shirt that you can wear all day long.
VIP ticket premiere
We plan on organizing premiere events in Brazil, Germany and Israel in selected theaters for our top contributors. It’s a chauvinist-free zone full of nice people who gather together for a chat over beer, wine and snacks to enjoy the film from the comfort of a real cinema chair.
Join this campaign if you think society needs to transform
LET'S MAKE „AWAKENING“ - A DOCUMENTARY FILM AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS
Thank you
Up to now I have paid for expenses out of my own pockets. But I can’t afford to pay for principal photography (shooting), post-production and distribution. In order to finish the making of this film at the level and quality it deserves, I need a budget which I plan to raise through crowdfunding.
Click here to learn more about other inspiring film projects I'm planning.
FAQ
You can basically pay with any payment method you could use to buy something on Amazon or Ebay. The rewards are denominated in either Euro or US dollars, which is why your credit card will be charged in either of these currencies. An international debit/credit card should work.
In the campaign page later on you’ll see the ending date of the campaign. The production schedule is up to six months from the time the campaign ends.
We will ship the reward in parallel to the launch of the film, about six months from the end of the campaign.
For the shipment of the physical reward items we use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) which a business service from Amazon. We ship the goods to Amazon in bulk, provide them with your address, and they ship it to you. It’s much like Amazon acting like a post office. Since we’re using Amazon’s shipping network, you can get our rewards in any country in which you can normally have Amazon ship an order, which means most countries worldwide.
This is extremely improbable and super unlikely. The single most important purpose why we came together to make this campaign is to make this film possible as early as possible. It’s in our interest and personal vision to make this film happen the best possible way.
In addition, we have explicitly factored in the costs to source, handle and ship all the rewards we will be offering. It means that once we receive the campaign budget we have the funds to pay for both the film and the rewards.
Kim is like a Swiss knife of filmmaking. He knows how to do a lot of things on his own: camera, lighting, sound, editing, coloring. He can keep production costs low while allowing him to have a greater influence on the artistic side of the film. He’s a sort of an auteur, a director who is also involved in the story, in screenwriting. And he is fluent in German, Portuguese, English and Hebrew.
We will offer a few options. All contributors will get a premium version of the film, either via Blu-Ray or streaming. VIP contributors will be invited to an exclusive premiere in selected cinemas and cities. Non-contributors might access a standard version on social media.