''The Conspiracy of Silence'' is a 1995

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. *Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

that outlines the problem of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

in the United States, and describes some solutions. The title refers to an unspoken pact in an abusive relationship, in which the abuser expects the victim never to disclose the abuse, and the abused complies in the hope of avoiding further violence. The documentary is presented by

Kathleen Turner Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. Turner became widely k ...

, with appearances by Denise Brown (sister of

Nicole Brown Simpson Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the ex-wife of the former professional American football player, O. J. Simpson, to whom she was married from 1985 to 1992. She was the mother of their two children, Sydney an ...

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

judge Deborah Kooperstein, and others.

Neal Marshad Neal Marshad (born April 25, 1952) is an American film and television producer, director, cinematographer, advertising executive, internet strategist, and designer. Personal life Marshad was born on April 25, 1952, in Peekskill, New York, the son ...

and Donna Olson, who co-wrote and co-directed the film, sought to show that domestic violence is not limited to one culture or

social class A social class is a grouping of people into a set of Dominance hierarchy, hierarchical social categories, the most common being the Upper class, upper, Middle class, middle and Working class, lower classes. Membership in a social class can for ...

, and that there is no standard profile for an abuser or an abused person. To this end, they focus on The Retreat, a

women's shelter A women's shelter, also known as a women's refuge and battered women's shelter, is a place of temporary protection and support for women escaping domestic violence and intimate partner violence of all forms. The term is also frequently used to ...

in affluent

East Hampton, New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a total ...

that helps battered women and their children obtain safe shelter and counselling. The US

Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...

(PBS) broadcast ''The Conspiracy of Silence'' three times between 1995 and 1996. The film won a Silver Award in the Women's Issues category at WorldFest-Houston in 1996, and an Honorable Mention at the 1996 Columbus International Film & Video Festival, in the Health & Medicine category.

References

External links

* * 1995 films American documentary films Documentary films about violence against women 1995 documentary films Violence against women in the United States 1990s English-language films 1990s American films {{documentary-tv-film-stub

See also

References

External links