Life at the Ringside

A voice for those who grew up at the ringside, against their will

Domestic violence has more spectators than any other fighting type in the world. Over 800 million people witness it every year.

Witnessing domestic violence is psychologically just as damaging as experiencing it firsthand.

"When you hear mom calling your name, but you’re just a seven-year-old boy, what the hell can you do?"

"The safest man in your life can suddenly turn into a complete monster."

"My distress was often that I was afraid mom would die."

"For me witnessing domestic violence was most painful"

Life at the ringside

5 unique stories about life at the ringside of domestic violence. Real people share real stories of growing up in a home where witnessing violence was the norm. They contemplate how the experiences have shaped them, and how they’ve learned to deal with PTSD and mental trauma.

Only by identifying the trauma, facing the memories, talking about them and going through them, can they slowly leave the ringside to the past.

A voice for the silenced

Experiences of domestic violence are alarmingly common in Finland. One in three women and one in six men have faced violence in a relationship. Often, children in the family are also exposed to violence within the home. Domestic violence can take many forms: it might be controlling behavior, or emotional, physical, digital, or financial abuse. Anyone, regardless of gender or family situation, can be a victim, a perpetrator, or exposed to violence. To give a voice to the silent victims, we all must take action.

If you or someone you know is exposed to domestic violence, help is available. The Nollalinja helpline is open 24/7 at 080 005 005. For emergency shelters, click here.

Directed by

Iris Olsson

Iris Olsson is a Finnish film director and documentary filmmaker. She has directed internationally acclaimed and awarded films, series and commercials for multiple platforms, including national television audience favorites.

In addition to directing she has worked as a script consultant, film commissioner and film festival artistic director. She in interested in telling stories which depict the inner strength and beauty in people.