Voices for Safety – A short film about Gender based violence in the Mining Sector: Altered States

Описание: Altered States, a short film sponsored by Sibanye–Stillwater. Thanks to the Women of Sibanye-Stillwater Team for supporting the Women in Mining South Africa Voices for Safety campaign.

This short film was commissioned to raise awareness about the importance of reporting GBV and show the courageous steps GBV survivors can take to heal and recover from trauma. This film is set within the context of the mining sector to support the fight against GBV and address the Safety and Security Challenges for Women in the South African Mining Industry (MCOP -Guidance Note for the Management of GBVF )

Altered States is a fictional short film about a young girl called Zevangeli (Zevi). Zevi is the daughter of a miner, who is a single father. Zevi’s grandmother is her primary caregiver. The story follows the career journey of a bright and ambitious young woman who dreams of being a geologist.
The story takes a sad turn when we realise that all of Zevi’s happiest memories are haunted by the trauma of an incident of gender-based violence (GBV). Throughout the short film, we see the “shadow man” chasing Zevi. The memory of the incident is causing her additional pain.

When we see Zevi in the hospital room with her grandmother and father we are introduced to the character of the Social worker. The social worker helps Zevi in her process of healing. When we listen to the words of the social worker, we understand that she too is a survivor of GBV and that she understands the pain and trauma that Zevi is feeling both professionally and personally. We learn that GBV can happen to anyone, not only women in mining.

The film concludes with Zevi returning to her job in the mines which tells our audience that she found the strength to return to her passion.