Afterwards

Inside a shelter, the voices of participants in a talking circle give form and shape to shocking and oppressive moments from their pasts. In the process, a common sense of humanity and solidarity emerges, built on the shared experiences of lives that have been devastated. Through the power of these bonds, participants can face their hidden traumas by bringing them into the light of day. In the circle, the reality of intimate partner violence and its complex workings is fully revealed.

In Afterwards, young filmmaker Romane Garant Chartrand uses a powerfully empathetic approach that shies away from fully showing participants’ faces—emphasizing the anonymity of the struggles these survivors have faced, as well as the universality of their experiences. She amplifies the voices of women whom others have tried to silence, and gives us privileged access to a space of sisterhood and solidarity. Through their vulnerability and mutual listening and understanding, the participants recognize their shared experiences and rediscover their dignity and the strength to act. They are laying the foundations to collectively rebuild, raising their voices in a vital chorus powerful enough to knock down the walls of oppression: “We will no longer be silent.”