Again this year, AVLF at the Movies offered the community an intimate, unflinching portrait of the challenges faced by those who are marginalized. Nearly 150 friends of Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation gathered at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema on Tuesday, September 20, for a screening of Private Violence, which tells a story of violence, frustration, and sadness that also includes resilience, promise, and even hope for victims of intimate partner violence who choose to stand up against their abuser (www.privateviolence.com).
We are grateful to event sponsors Taylor English and Daily Report, without whom the evening would not have been possible, and to our panelists who addressed the ways in which we all may stand up to domestic violence:
Kit Gruelle, a survivor of domestic violence, has worked as an advocate for battered women and their children for almost 30 years. She is the subject of Private Violence. http://www.kitgruelle.com/
Amanda Planchard is the Director of Victim Assistance at the Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office and Co-Chair of the Fulton County Family Violence Task Force.
Judge Robert McBurney is a currently a Fulton County Superior Court Judge and formerly an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and Assistant District Attorney for Fulton County. He is a member of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence.
Jamie Perez is the Director of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s Safe and Stable Families Project and oversees its domestic violence program.
The robust conversation continued at neighboring eatery Apres Diem late into the evening, and we hope and believe that the insights gained from participating in this close look will go well beyond the event and have an impact on our collective effort to stem violence toward women. We are very, very proud of the work of the AVLF Domestic Violence team!