We're used to seeing Shaynna Blaze in front of the camera, talking about all things interior design on The Block. But her latest project sees her behind the camera, focusing on a completely different topic.
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Executively produced by Shaynna Blaze and directed by her children Carly Anne Kenneally and Jess Kenneally, The Fort is a powerful feature film exploring the cycle of family violence through generations.
Screening at Palace Electric on August 1, it tells the story of young mum, Kitty, and her battle to escape her abusive marriage while attempting to shelter her son, Thomas, from the grim realities of family violence.
![Clockwise from left: Carly Anne Kenneally, Shaynna Blaze and Jess Kenneally behind the scenes of The Fort; Dean Bills, as Thomas; and Eliza Charley as Kitty. Pictures by Simon Griffith and supplied Clockwise from left: Carly Anne Kenneally, Shaynna Blaze and Jess Kenneally behind the scenes of The Fort; Dean Bills, as Thomas; and Eliza Charley as Kitty. Pictures by Simon Griffith and supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/3f73c662-59f8-482a-87e0-8895a0f9ba5f.jpg/r0_0_1367_756_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The project started a few years ago when Carly Anne Kenneally and Jess Kenneally were looking for grants to do a short film focused on women. At the same time, Blaze was an emcee for the Safe Steps candlelight vigil, an event that remembers and honours those who have been killed by domestic and family violence.
"At the end of it, when you see that roll call of all the women and children murdered by their former or current family member or partner ... with their names and ages, that got me," Blaze says.
"It's one of those things where you go, 'What can I do? How can I do it?' And because I knew the kids were looking at this movie, we came together and just said, 'OK, I don't know how we're going to fund it, don't know what we're going to do, but let's start from there'. And so that's where it snowballed from."
![The Fort tells the story of how one mother is trying to shelter her son from the grim realities of family violence. Picture supplied The Fort tells the story of how one mother is trying to shelter her son from the grim realities of family violence. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/e431ea2e-a168-4561-ba11-42525f21d1ef.jpg/r249_0_1351_619_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The aim was to never make something "too Hollywood", and they didn't want people to walk away still feeling like they couldn't talk about issues of abuse.
But the key to creating this sort of authenticity was research.
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"Jess, as the creator of the story, he'd put it together, and then we would get together monthly and read scenes," Blaze says.
"And it was always the case of making sure it was this personal family story, even though it was a multitude of stories from research. We were speaking to survivors and families of victims and speaking to police and going to rescue places.
"There was a lot of research to make sure that we were honest to their stories, I think that's the biggest thing in telling this story. And it's what's out in the national plan at the moment - to let survivors' stories be told. And we started that in 2017 so I'm pretty proud how forward we were thinking that."
![Shaynna Blaze, Carly Anne Kenneally, and Jess Kenneally on set of The Fort. Picture byTheresa Harrison Shaynna Blaze, Carly Anne Kenneally, and Jess Kenneally on set of The Fort. Picture byTheresa Harrison](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/175a8f7c-b6e0-4025-9097-0fe2fdd2f377.jpg/r0_185_3461_2131_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
This experience of speaking to the victims and their families also formed the basis of, not only The Fort, but the charity Voice of Change.
Founded during the film's production, Voice of Change is a not-for-profit charity using the arts to amplify the voices of victim-survivors of abuse and to change the cultural attitudes and beliefs that underpin family violence.
"We wanted to make an impact - how do we do it? What do we do? And so then again, we wanted to go, 'Well, we have a social responsibility. How do we do this?'" Blaze says.
"We realised that going back to the movie is that the cycle of violence is perpetuated by us not knowing how to speak to each other, how to see the red flags, how being able to have a voice before and after. So we realised that the charity had this unique angle of going well, actually, we can get into harm prevention, and use this movie to stop people getting into that situation and looking at relationships and use the arts to start this conversation."
The Fort will be screened at Palace Electric on August 1. For tickets got to thefortmovie.com.
Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
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