Description
With Impunity: Men and Gender Violence explores gender-based violence by looking at the historical roots of men’s violence against women, the pillars that allow oppression to occur, the influence of our culture on men and boys, and the backlash against the gains women have made and the paths toward change. The film follows the life of an Army Ranger who battered his wife, ending up in a standoff with the police and his long journey toward change.
Developed by Michael Paymar, Laura Goodman and the late Ellen Pence.
Interview and analysis provided by Ellen Pence, Ann Jones, Jackson Katz, Michael Kimmel, Marlin Mousseau, Beth Richie, Russell Dobash, Rebecca Dobash, Michael Paymar, Liliana Espondaburu, Oliver Williams, Chuck Derry, Suzanne Keopplinger, Cordelia Anderson, Elizabeth Pleck, and Hector Matascastillo.
Photography by Donna Ferrato.
Watch the trailer
Impunity Trailer v3 from education for critical thinking on Vimeo.
Community Dialogues: A Process for Social Change
Many people working to end men’s violence against women have become increasingly concerned about the way that gender violence is currently being framed by some researchers and practitioners in the psychology field and academia. The historical underpinnings of men’s violence against women are being pushed aside, replaced by repackaged psychological theories to explain why domestic and sexual violence occurs and how to stop it. The social and historical context of our understanding of gender-based violence has increasingly gone missing in the discourse.
This documentary and the accompanying facilitator’s guide challenges the notion that men’s violence against women is an individual problem committed by a few troubled men. Our culture produces men who batter, men who rape, men who buy women for sex, and men who consume violent pornography.The facilitator’s guide provides exercises to be used in community dialogues, based in part on the work of the late Brazilian educator and author Paulo Freire. Freire formulated a theory of education based on the belief that every human being is capable of looking critically at his or her world despite the level of oppression he or she has experienced. Participants in a community dialogue develop concrete social change activities that they can undertake individually and collectively. The goal is to elevate gender-based violence to the level of other critical social problems in our society, where solutions are discussed in our schools, places of worship, and other community institutions and become part of our public and political discourse.
Audience
Community institutions and those that may be interested in this documentary to create community dialogue include colleges and universities, high school teachers and counselors, students, those in the criminal and civil justice systems, domestic violence and sexual violence prevention programs, batterer intervention programs (BIPs) shelters and state coalitions, sex-trafficking prevention programs, faith-based groups, community organizations, gun violence prevention programs, branches of the military, human rights organizations, policymakers and film festivals.
Praise for With Impunity
We’ve been inspired to start by having candid conversations around With Impunity with the people closest to us; our families, colleagues, and system partners. –Julie Ellefson, Committee Against Domestic Abuse
With Impunity examines culture and history of gender-based violence. Potentially a breakthrough shift in the way abuse and violence against women is discussed by looking through the lens of men. –Women’s Press
This film isn’t anti-sex or anti-men and that’s what makes it fresh and worth considering. One featured expert called for lots more sexual images in the media — of the healthy kind. Others spoke about dangers faced by men throughout history who have
defended and respected women and girls as equals. The film focuses on one young man who witnessed violence in his own home and, not surprisingly, became a physically abusive husband. His dramatic turn-around is heartening, and it’s a great launching point for discussions in our homes, houses of worship, businesses and coffee shops. –Star Tribune
With Impunity: Men and Gender Violence a documentary developed by Michael Paymar and Ellen Pence has been nominated for Best Topical Documentary. –Upper Midwest Regional Emmy© Award
With Impunity is a thought-provoking documentary that challenges us all to do more to end gender-based violence. We have used the film to train domestic violence sexual assault program advocates and volunteers throughout the state. At our state conference the film was screened and widely praised by the audience! –Tiffany Eskelson-Maestas Advocacy & Resource Director, Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
