Left Write Hook: the film

“Silence is no longer an option”

The story of our documentary

Left Write Hook follows the journey of eight female and gender diverse survivors of childhood sexual abuse, who participate in an innovative recovery program combining the physicality of boxing with the emotional power of creative writing. Gaining a space to release their memories, reclaim their bodies and imagine new lives for themselves.

Through powerful participatory filmmaking and with unprecedented access, this documentary captures an amazing journey of self-discovery, resilience, recovery, transformation, and friendship, as they begin to regain agency and take back their power.

Left Write Hook offers audiences a profound understanding of what it means to be a victim-survivor today, and the power and strength that can come from connection and healing.

STREAMING ON NETFLIX: Our award winning documentary is available to stream on Netflix Australia and New Zealand.

Watch the trailer
Watch the film

“Most people will know at least one survivor.  I hope this film helps people understand the impacts of childhood sexual abuse. You don’t just get over it. It impacts every part of your life.”

-Dove

The participants

  • Donna

    Donna, a survivor of ritual abuse and incest, is a boxer, academic, and producer. She produced  DISCLOSURE, nominated for best independent film AACTA 2021. She’s a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne and founder and CEO of the Left Write Hook Charity championing survivors empowerment and recovery.

  • Dove

    Dove is a survivor of satanic ritual abuse. She has spent years working through repressed memories and learning to live with her abuse and its impacts. She loves animals and hopes to work with survivors in an animal therapy program in the future.

  • Claire

    Claire Gaskin's, a bud, John Leonard Press, 2006 was shortlisted in the 2008 John Bray SA Festival Awards for Literature. Her six books of poetry include, Paperweight, Hunter Publishers, 2013, Eurydice Speaks, Hunter Publishers, 2021, Ismene's Survivable Resistance, Puncher & Wattmann, 2021 and Weather Event, Gazebo Books, 2023.

  • Gabrielle

    Gabrielle has a PhD in creative writing and has written four books of poetry. Her most recent poetry book is Venus Without Furs. She has performed her poetry at La Mama, The Bowery, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and The Evil Women conferences in Vienna and Prague

  • Lauren

    Lauren is a disabled and neuroqueer survivor advocate interested in what it means to live our ethics publicly. Drawing on her lived experience of complex trauma and chronic illness, they work to support human systems to become kinder, more relational, and responsive to trauma in individuals, relationships, and cultures.

  • Nikki

    Nikki is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and incest with a depressingly unique story - she was believed and supported. Committed to being kind and joyful in a world that is not always so, she is training to support other survivors to connect with their bodies and stories.

  • Pixie (Khale McHurst)

    Pixie, known as queer graphic memoirist Khale McHurst, works on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Their work explores mental illness, queer relationships, and growing up in a religious cult. They enjoy a boring life with their wife and fur family.

  • Julie

    Julie is 53 with many qualities. She endured years of childhood sexual abuse and has schizophrenia, which develops into trauma induced psychosis. Her mental health does not define the person she is. She is in a loving 30 year relationship, is caring, with a passion for singing and art and recently released her single On The Ropes on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

  • "Their attention to detail and commitment" to quality truly stood out. We’ve already recommended them to others.

    —Former Customer

  • "Creative, reliable, and genuinely passionate about what they do."

    —Former Customer

  • "A professional team that delivers on their promises."

    —Former Customer

  • "Every detail was thoughtfully executed. We're thrilled with the outcome."

    —Former Customer

Film team

  • Shannon Owen

    DIRECTOR, PRODUCER

    Shannon Owen is a documentary filmmaker and researcher whose work explores the change making potential of documentary storytelling. Working closely with participants, her films reveal the human impact of broader socio-political issues. Her work has screened widely through film festivals and broadcast and exhibited at the Australian National Portrait Gallery. 

  • Alice Burgin

    PRODUCER

    Alice is a documentary expert specialising in overseeing international festival markets and theatrical productions. As Head of Documentary at Sweetshop & Green, she oversaw development and production of non-fiction features and series, including THE DEFENDERS (2023). She currently heads Switzerland's largest documentary market, Visions du Réel, and was previously CEO/Director of AIDC.

  • Gal Greenspan

    PRODUCER

    Gal is a Co-Managing Director of Sweetshop & Green Productions. Gal has produced nearly a dozen critically-acclaimed films including the DocPlay Original cycling series SECOND TO NONE (2024), Amazon Original THE DEFENDERS (2023) the scripted feature MOJA VESNA (2022), which premiered at the 2022 Berlinale, and animated feature WHERE IS ANNE FRANK? (2022), which premiered at 2021 Cannes Film Festival

  • Rachel Forbes

    CO-PRODUCER

    Rachel is a producer at Sweetshop & Green. Her film and TV credits include co-producer on DocPlay Original cycling series SECOND TO NONE (2024), Associate Producer on Amazon Original THE DEFENDERS (2023) and Line Producer on OF AN AGE (2022) and ABC Series SUMMER LOVE (2022).

  • Andrea Foxworthy

    IMPACT PRODUCER

    Andrea is the Naarm/Melbourne based Impact Producer for the AACTA & Walkley Award nominated FRANKLIN (2022). In 2023 she participated in Documentary Australia's inaugural Impact Producer Program, contributing to the impact and distribution strategy for CLIMATE CHANGERS (2023). Andrea Co-Produced the AACTA and AIDC Award nominated BRAZEN HUSSIES (2020).

  • Leeanne Torpey

    IMPACT ADVISOR (MINDEROO PICTURES)

    Leeanne is a Gadigal/Sydney based film and TV producer. She was the impact producer on WAR ON WASTE Series 3 (2023), BIG DEAL (2021), MAGDA'S BIG NATIONAL HEALTH CHECK (2022), ITHAKA (2021) and WAKEFIELD (2021). Leeanne is a RRRT Human Rights Award and Google Media Award recipient.

  • Kate Boylan-Ascione

    IMPACT INTERN

    Kate is a Gimuy/Cairns-based creative producer. She is a 2024 recipient of Screen Queensland and Documentary Australia's SheDoc program, and is currently in post-production for impact documentary LET THEM HUG. She produced shorts MAUDE AND GORDON AT THE END OF THE WORLD (2021), PAUSE (2021) and THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT (2019). 

  • Donna

    PRODUCER

    Donna, a survivor of ritual abuse and incest, is a boxer, academic, and producer. She produced  DISCLOSURE, nominated for best independent film AACTA 2021. She’s a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne and founder and CEO of the Left Write Hook Charity championing survivors empowerment and recovery.