“Daughter, where are you?” Camile’s father’s anguished voice echoed through the phone. “I’m worried. When you can, please call me,” he pleaded, leaving a message on voicemail. However, while he was speaking, Camile was lying injured on the floor after having been brutally attacked by her husband. 

Upon learning of this, Alane, Camile's best friend, decided to make a documentary interviewing women who had been through similar situations, to help and encourage others to break the silence. During the recording process, Alane discovered that most of the interviewees were victims of sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence.

This is how “Camile” begins, a film produced by the Feliz 7 Play platform, which premiered on August 23, 2024, to raise awareness about violence and child sexual abuse. 

The film depicts the dangers of child abuse, which can occur in homes, schools, relatives' houses, and even churches. This portrayal is not far from reality.

According to Luciana Costa, the film's producer and screenwriter, “Many situations hide behind smiles and can happen right next to us. We need to be alert as a society, church, and family. Debate, protect, and raise awareness about the need to report,” she emphasizes. 

Facing an Unfortunate Truth 

According to studies conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), two out of every three boys, girls, and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean suffer domestic violence. Furthermore, one in every eight children suffers some type of sexual abuse, which, in most cases, occurs within the family nucleus.  

Based on this information, the film was created to shed light on the subject, as well as to provide support and solutions for the victims. Luciana mentioned that one of the major hurdles while making "Camile" was confronting the events that are depicted in the movie.

“[It’s difficult] to know that everything that is being portrayed is not mere fiction, that someone somewhere went through this traumatic experience and as we speak here hundreds of other women and children in South America and the world are going through this,” she expresses. 

Making a Difference 

“Camile” is part of the campaign to combat violence, Quebrando o Silêncio (Breaking the Silence), promoted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Kimberly Dias, executive producer of Digital Strategies at the administrative headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America, says, “By addressing issues such as domestic violence, mistreatment, abuse and other sensitive topics in our content, we aim to positively influence the lives of our viewers, offering a space for reflection, empathy and showing how to act in these cases.”

Likewise, Maythê Costa, the film’s director, highlights the importance of using this production as a tool to open debates and raise awareness. “I believe that the most powerful weapon we have against this evil is our voice, our inflexibility. It must be made clear that we do not accept or support this. I really hope that people who watch the film feel motivated to take part in the fight against this evil that hurts so many people,” she says. 

Feliz7Play is the Seventh-day Adventist Church's streaming platform. It brings together films, series, documentaries, animations, podcasts, music videos, children's and educational programs, among other Christian content. Access is free at feliz7play.com. 

Watch the trailer:

The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese website.