This director is vindictive.

Although the focus of attention this time on the movie "Domestic Violence" is more on Chen Mo's retirement from the entertainment industry, the movie itself is a film that hits the pain points of current society.

Actually, Chen Mo was relatively restrained; the cases shown in the movie did not sell "violent spectacles".

It wasn't as chilling as "Don't Talk to Strangers".

However, this type of case is not universal; rather, the cases depicted in "Domestic Violence" are more realistic.

The reason why realistic films are difficult to make is that if you make such a film too "unique", it will feel detached from reality.

For example, take the case that Chen Mo went to investigate before filming. The twists and turns in that case could be made into a thriller. If it were actually used, then "Domestic Violence" would no longer be a realistic film, but would become a film about the bizarre.

The truth is, in many cases of domestic violence, there are actually not many complicated details; many things are out in the open.

The social pain point of these cases lies in the fact that officials will not investigate unless the public reports them, that it is difficult for honest officials to settle family disputes, and that the spousal relationship is often taken into consideration when sentencing, because it is a "family matter." Even though domestic violence is illegal and criminal in law, in practice, it is often difficult to truly nip the problem in the bud.

The case of the victim who was repeatedly subjected to domestic violence and even managed to escape was widely circulated online. In the end, he was beaten so badly that he had to live with a septic tank for the rest of his life. That's why many people hope for a severe sentence.

It was so horrifying that, if you put yourself in the wife's shoes, you can only imagine the despair she felt.

With Chen Mo's retirement from the entertainment industry and the influence of ticket stub giveaways, "Domestic Violence" achieved phenomenal box office success, especially considering there were no other films released during the same period.

The popularity of films like "Domestic Violence" has generated a huge social impact, which has led to a series of chain reactions.

During the film's release, numerous real-life cases of domestic violence victims seeking help emerged on social media.

This phenomenon reflects the harsh reality of online communication today—in normal times, unless there are extremely dramatic cases (such as the domestic violence death case that shocked the whole country and sparked heated discussions), ordinary victims' posts seeking help often disappear without a trace.

The reason for this is that the platform's traffic mechanism is essentially a "clearly marked" commercial activity, and the suffering of ordinary people is unlikely to automatically gain attention.

But the release of "Domestic Violence" completely changed this situation. This film, which already generated considerable buzz, opened the floodgates for similar social issues. During this special period, major social media platforms proactively provided extra traffic support for content involving the keyword "domestic violence."

This bias in the platform's algorithm has given unprecedented exposure to domestic violence issues involving ordinary people that have long been overlooked.

Many victims seized this rare "window of opportunity" and shared their experiences on platforms such as Weibo and Douyin.

Some posts detailed the experiences of long-term domestic violence with no recourse; others documented the helplessness of being mediated by the police after reporting to the police, who deemed it a "domestic matter"; still others featured photos of injuries, accusing the abusers of repeatedly escaping legal punishment by taking advantage of their "marital relationship." These pleas for help, which might have gone unnoticed in the past, have finally received the attention they deserve thanks to the social awareness sparked by the film.

Movies certainly can't solve these kinds of pain points.

Take "Dying to Survive" for example. Although the movie improved some things, that's about all that can actually be done.

Similar phenomena still exist!
However, even so, it is enough.

This is the effect of realistic films having an impact, and it's why many people favor this type of film.

The sense of accomplishment from changing the status quo and changing the world is unparalleled.

Some incidents exposed online, and some high-profile cases that have sparked controversy, have led many people to mistakenly believe that they can turn to the internet for help whenever they need it. This idea is clearly unrealistic.

The ordeal of Li, a victim of domestic violence, was recorded live through the reporter's lens.

Just three days after she reported the incident, her husband, Wang, barged into the temporary shelter and, in front of the mediating police officers, yelled at Li, "Come home with me!"

In the live broadcast, Li was huddled in a corner, trembling all over, while the police officers' attempts to dissuade him and Wang's angry shouts of "This is a family matter, mind your own business" were mixed together.

This scene may seem like a farce, but in reality, it is not a rare or dramatic violent incident. Rather, it reflects the reality repeatedly emphasized in the film "Domestic Violence"—domestic violence often occurs in broad daylight, with onlookers, yet no one can truly stop it.

Wang's arrogant attitude and the police's inability to mediate precisely demonstrate the core contradiction of domestic violence in reality: domestic violence is a crime in law, but in practice, it is often classified as a "family matter".

The perpetrators act with impunity, the victims are isolated and helpless, and society has become accustomed to this "overt violence"—just like in the movies, real domestic violence often doesn't have so many bizarre and convoluted plots; it is direct, naked, and undisguised violence.

After the live stream was exposed, the comment section quickly erupted in anger—some people angrily exclaimed: "This kind of scum should be sentenced! Domestic violence is either zero times or countless times!"

But many others coldly questioned: "Why didn't you divorce him the first time you were beaten? Whose fault is it that you were so cowardly?"

This accusation precisely exposes the deepest misunderstanding society has about domestic violence.

Just like that heartbreaking line in the movie "Domestic Violence": "Everyone thinks that domestic violence has to be like in TV dramas, where people are beaten until they are bloodied and someone dies before it is considered 'serious'. But what is the reality? Most victims don't even have the courage to call the police - because everyone says 'this is a family matter.' Even when the police come, they will definitely try to mediate first, rather than file a case immediately. At the same time, many times, it is difficult to meet the standards for filing a case."

Because this is not a simple fight, but a matter of the closest family relationships, and sometimes law enforcement officers are doing a thankless job.

What's even more disheartening is that while the law clearly states that domestic violence is illegal, its enforcement is met with obstacles at every turn:
The husband beat his wife, and the neighbors heard it but pretended not to hear it.
Some might even think that couples who fight in bed make up before they get out of bed!

The victims finally managed to report the incident to the police, but at most, the only recourse was mediation, conversation, and admonishment.

Even many of the victims' relatives would try to persuade them first, and then other people.

Even after divorce, the abuser can still harass you relentlessly, even threatening to "kill your whole family if you dare to run away."
Just like that real case from before—the woman who was beaten so badly that she had to wear a manure bag for the rest of her life. She called the police and tried to escape, but she was caught every time. It wasn't until she was almost beaten to death that the case attracted attention.

But in reality, how many people are beaten but don't even have the chance to speak out?

"Don't advise others to do good if you haven't experienced their suffering!"
Everyone understands this saying, but in practice, it often goes against the grain.

Zhang Yuqi and her team have been busy with the "Anti-Domestic Violence Charity Foundation" lately. Although they have done a lot, there are just too many similar cases across the country.

There's really not much they can do.

Yang Mi sighed softly, put down the charity project report in her hand, and looked up at Chen Mo, saying, "Actually, we've received a lot of requests for help recently, but we can only intervene in less than one-tenth of the cases. Some victims can't even get a case filing receipt, and the mediation agreement has become the perpetrator's 'get-out-of-jail-free card'."

She tapped her fingertips on the file on the table marked "relapse after mediation," which contained a photo of bruises taken by a victim during his seventh police report.

Chen Mo leaned against the window, his furrowed brows reflected in the glass.

"Actually, when I was filming 'Domestic Violence,' I went to the Women's Federation for a follow-up visit, and there was a detail that I didn't dare to use in the script—"

As he turned away, his eyes held suppressed anger: "The staff said the most desperate thing wasn't receiving a call, but receiving a call to 'withdraw the request for help.' The perpetrator would sign a guarantee in front of the police, then turn around and, in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras, grab the victim by the neck and force them to call and withdraw the case."

"Some people always criticize the relevant departments for not doing their job, but in reality, during my visits, I found that they wanted to solve the problem more than anyone else. Police officers, women's federation staff, community workers—weren't they all repeatedly going to the door to mediate, persuade people to leave, and issue warnings?"

But what was the result? The victim signed the divorce papers one minute, and was then coaxed back to her home the next.
She had just moved into the temporary shelter when her husband and relatives persuaded her to go back with just a few words—"How can you do this kind of work?"

Gao Yuanyuan frowned and asked, "What I can't understand is that some men are as cowardly as quails when they are arrested by the police for breaking the law outside, but when they beat their wives at home and the police come to their door, they become arrogant and even dare to shout in front of the police, 'This is a family matter, it's none of your business'—where do they get the guts?"

"Because they've got the hang of the words 'household chores'!"

The other party sneered: "If you catch a thief, of course he'll be afraid; that's a blatant crime. But what about domestic violence? The moment the police walk in, the abuser immediately changes his tune: 'It's just a couple arguing,' 'She hit me first,' 'I was drunk and lost control.' Add to that the victim trembling and afraid to identify the perpetrator, and neighbors and friends smoothing things over by saying 'It's inevitable in a marriage,' and 99% of the time it ends up being a mediation settlement. These beasts have figured it out—as long as no one dies, the police will at most give them a warning, but behind closed doors, they're still the king of the house!"

With her large pregnant belly, Zhang Yuqi muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction and helplessness, "Then what's the point of us making this movie?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo rolled his eyes at her, his tone a mix of disdain and seriousness: "What are you saying? How is it useless? We're not gods, nor are we God, capable of saving all living beings."

Even if this movie only helps one person—gives the person who was beaten a chance to shout out and have someone listen;

That case, which was previously ignored, is now being taken care of;

"To ensure that the person who was almost killed survives—isn't that meaningful?"

He paused, his voice lowering slightly, but each word struck like a hammer: "You expect a movie to solve a problem that even the law can't? What are you thinking?"

The reality is there: domestic violence won't disappear just because of a movie. But if you can't even accept this small change, then you're truly beyond saving.

The tiger girls couldn't help but stick out their tongues, their expressions changing as quickly as a child's.

"Oh, I was just venting. Actually, our anti-domestic violence fund has helped a lot of people!"

Chen Mo ruffled her meticulously styled hair in an annoyed tone, saying, "You already know, so why did you say that? All you do is annoy me!"

"Just like that case of domestic violence by a Brahmin in a county town, it received widespread attention because of it, and the final outcome was good, wasn't it?"

Chen Mo took a deep breath, looked out the window with a profound gaze, and slowly said, "The original intention of making 'Domestic Violence' was actually very simple—to let those who cry silently in the dark be seen."

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the window frame: "Do you remember the victim we visited during the preparations?"

Zhang Yuqi nodded obediently and said, "Yes, I remember, of course I remember, but that husband was really a bit scary!"

"Yes, you mean if her story had been exposed online and brought to the public's attention earlier, even if it had prevented her from being publicly shamed and condemned, things wouldn't have escalated to the point of a life-or-death struggle, right?"

Zhang Yuqi's fingers tightened slightly as she held the cushion, hearing Chen Mo's hoarse voice continue, "We can't change the age-old problem of 'even an upright official can't settle family disputes,' but at least we can use the camera to tear away that veil of shame. Just like that scene in the movie where the wife is dragged home in public by her husband—"

He suddenly turned around, a dark fire burning in his eyes: "How many people think that domestic violence should be the kind of dramatic brutality depicted in 'Don't Talk to Strangers'? But in reality, perpetrators often act with righteous indignation in broad daylight, while onlookers treat it as a 'marital quarrel'."

"I remember you asked me during casting, why do you want to design the female lead to have a personality that repeatedly forgives her abuser?"

Chen Mo picked up the yellowed mediation file on the table: "Because in many places, one out of every three divorce lawsuits results in one victim withdrawing the case. It's not that they are cowardly, it's that the whole society is pushing them back into the fire with the mentality of 'better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage'!"

"Our film aims to shatter this hypocrisy of 'domestic disputes'! When audiences see the police's repeated unsuccessful mediation on screen, and hear neighbors say 'it's normal for couples to fight,' they will understand—"

Chen Mo stared at Zhang Yuqi's wide-open eyes and said, word by word, "It's not that the victims don't try to escape, but that each of us has unknowingly built up the wall that traps them."

However, there's something interesting about it.

The popularity of the film "Domestic Violence" and the surge in discussion have indeed encouraged many female victims to speak out and have their voices heard.

On many platforms, numerous videos have appeared thanking Chen Mo and the film "Domestic Violence".

Without exception, they were all women.

Chen Mo has been awarded a new title: Friend of Women!

This is not a derogatory term, but a genuine compliment.

Because of this film, he has indeed become the object of gratitude for many of the women who benefited from it.

Therefore, the claim that he is a friend of women is now confirmed! (End of Chapter)