Domestic violence often thrives in silence. Many victims feel isolated, ashamed, or afraid to speak out—a horrendous truth we wanted to tackle head-on. Because violence takes many forms, we intentionally avoided graphic depictions of abuse in favor of a more metaphorical approach.
Our goal was to include all sufferers, regardless of the specific nature of their hardship, and to reflect the deeper, less visible wounds: the psychological and societal struggles of victims—the barriers that keep them alone, scared, and hopeless. The first half of our film immerses viewers in that darkness, but the second offers a shift—a glimpse of hope.
We wanted our film not only to serve as a mirror reflecting the harsh reality many endure, but also as a beacon signaling that healing is possible. Once our hero meets her counterpart, a fellow sufferer, the story turns from horrific to hopeful. Together, they fight like hell to reach one another, despite the obstacles they face—because finally, there is hope for healing.
If even one person feels less alone after watching our film, and maybe dares to do what our hero does—reach out—then we’ve already begun to achieve what we set out to do.
Below is a note from Florian Reittner (Director of Femsiphere).
"I started out the same way Wall-E started out: wanting to make a change about a subject that is programmed into my DNA.
Having grown up around a lot of violence, it was clear to me that one day, I wanted to make a film that takes a stand against it.
It would have taken me about as long as it takes that little robot to clean up Earth—without some of the coolest, most enthusiastic, and skilled people I have ever met: dotfilms.co.
Once I met Rhiju, Shrey, and Yashi via Zoom, we knew we wanted to make this happen together—but the path to pressing record on the camera was a long one. As a team, we went through many different versions, shades, and shapes of the script before we shot. When we met in India for the first time one and a half years ago, the film was still an entirely different animal. But as we scouted, casted, laughed, troubleshot, and grew together, we slowly and lovingly shaped the film into its current wonderful form.
It would have never been what it is now without the amazing creative insight of Rhiju Talukdar, the aesthetic mastery of Shrey Deepranjan, and the cunning wisdom of Yashi Paswan.
For the shoot, I brought along Jørgen Hunstad, a freelance producer from Norway, as well as Vincent Eckert, an up-and-coming DoP talent from Germany, while Dot Films brought together the most talented team of individuals to help us with location, sets, costumes, etc.
Once we were all on location in Greater Noida, New Delhi, we had about two weeks to finalize pre-production. We tackled all remaining problems by plastering the walls full of notes, trying out fabrics, checking the viscosity of fake blood, wearing costumes, smashing mirrors, testing flammables, and hustling for money—all while sampling some of the most delicious and wild dishes India has to offer.
The most important part of this process was the casting of the wonderful Krithika Iyer, who not only took on but took over the role of our lead actress.
For me, the shoot itself went by in a crazed haze of intense moments. Very little time, very hot weather, very many people—and an abundance of unique challenges. After each of the two days of shooting, my soul was full to the brim and my head was empty as a steel drum. It still is a blaze. And I still wonder how we made it all work.
With glorious memories in my mind and the most amazing footage in my pocket, I returned home to Austria—only to find myself unable to get anywhere with the edit. The footage was so precious and so close to home that I didn’t know how to navigate through it on my own. It was again a concerted effort to bring the edit to life. Rain Kenkana, a wonderful Indonesian/German editor, the Dot Films team, and I spent about six months sending versions back and forth before we were finally happy with what we had.
I sent the film to my friend and ally Tyler Roth, the legendary LA-based colorist, to be graded, and had the voiceover recorded by Flo Tyler, a wonderfully skilled UK singer and music producer.
Finally, uniting 8 countries and 3 continents under the flag of a passion project that started with a Zoom meeting on a whim is still hard to comprehend—and too beautiful to put into words. I hope I have done it justice"
Our main objective was never just to make a film—it was to create a strong emotional statement that could offer solidarity, hope, and visibility to victims of violence. We set out to reach people on a deeply human level, and based on the reactions we’ve received so far, we believe we have achieved that.
Several viewers told me they cried or finally started a conversation they had long avoided. That kind of emotional resonance is our true metric of success.
Collaborating across cultures, time zones, and creative perspectives not only made the process rich and rewarding, but also became a powerful statement in itself: when people come together with intention and heart, something beautiful can happen.
Despite all the logistical and emotional challenges, we made the film we dreamed of—one that looks, feels, and breathes with authenticity and urgency. That is what we set out to do—and in our humble opinion, we nailed it.
