The event began with a screening of their collaborative video with VoxPop, in which several University students were asked about various aspects of abuse, including what kind of relationships abuse occurs in, and what actually is classifiable as abuse? The video is very enlightening and informative, as it gives us valuable insight to people’s attitudes on this sensitive subject. One aspect, Petra Borg, Betapsi’s President, noted was the sheer amount of students afraid to speak up about the topic, making it evident that it is still an ever-present taboo in our society. This further highlighted the importance of raising awareness and allowing individuals the opportunity to speak out about it.

This was followed by a survivor of domestic violence’s personal story and her journey to where she stands today. Her story’s beginnings paralleled that of many other victims, where they fall madly in love with the perpetuator, and begin to be conditioned by dependence on the abuser, as they establish gradual mechanisms of implementing control. It is important to note that the most likely cause of abuse results from the individual’s absolute need for control and power, and in turn, what drives an individual into such acts of violence.

Small things, such as controlling the clothes she decided to wear to how she cleaned the house, began to spark massive arguments, which led to violence. What left me astounded was the realisation that, although victims are always depicted as vulnerable, this may not necessarily be the case, as this situation could occur to anyone. With its slow and gradual build up, you can understand how it could sneak up on a person, at which point the individual may be too intertwined and dependent on the perpetuator to have the means, strength, or courage to leave. As the survivor notes: it is a hard concept to believe that the person you once loved has become this creature. You can’t help but begin to believe their pleas for forgiveness and vows of self-improvement, as one might want to seek the good in everyone. However, what finally broke the cycle of abuse for this survivor, and ultimately accepting that her partner would not change, was the safety of her child.

What was interesting and refreshing about the campaign, is how they did not just focus on the stereotypical views of abuse, that of abuse of women by men. They showcased how it could happen in a variety of relationships, including people who were not married, gay and lesbian relationships and to other less thought of individuals in the family, such as elderly parents and children. Although importance was given to abuse on women, since, statistically, they still are by far the most common victims of abuse, the campaign helps us come to the realisation that it is not only a much more common occurrence than we would like to believe, but also that this could happen to numerous people in different situations.

They also focused on the fact that abuse is not simply just physical, as many may assume, but really, it encompasses a variety of means of implementing control and mistreatment to another individual, such as emotional, psychological, financial and sexual.

Two undoubtedly important questions that begin to surface when contemplating abuse are, firstly, why people tend to abuse others, and secondly, which members in our society are more prone to become abusers themselves later on in life? As the survivor herself mentioned during her recollection of her journey, the individual is seen as an emotional punching bag, as a method to vent out built up frustrations and anger. There is also strong evidence that proves that those who themselves were abused at a young age are more likely to then become abusers in later years and perpetuate the cycle of abuse.

I would like to finish off with a comment from BetaPsi’s President, Petra Borg, on the campaign: “we started with an idea – raising awareness on domestic violence. It started to become evident that there is still a lot to do with this vast subject that we do not actually know about, such as the details and all the interconnecting aspects that are involved and affected by this. What I came to realise, from the VoxPop video we conducted on Monday, is that a staggering amount of people were uncomfortable talking about it – and shockingly still consider it taboo. I mean, at the end of the day, we are University students and we are here to learn more and grow as individuals, and more so, to use what we have learnt and achieved to help those around us. After all, my personal opinion is that I think it’s important for anyone in the Psychology or any Humanities field in general to become aware of the social issues that surround them, and furthermore, become active within our community and learn the value of reciprocity and empathy. It doesn’t have to be your favourite topic in the world, however, education doesn’t just have to just be formal; campaigns such as this are here to teach equally valuable life experiences.”

If you are in this situation or happen to know anyone going through something similar, please reach out and contact either APPOGG’s Domestic Violence Unit, or call Victim’s Support on 179. If you would also like assistance on what to do next, do not hesitate to contact the Commission on Domestic Violence on 25687251, or pay them a visit in Floriana, to help support and guide you in the right direction.

The post Caged Up – An Insightful Campaign With a Solid Cause appeared first on The Third Eye.

Not to mention Halloween ranks worldwide as the second most popular holiday, right after Christmas (and let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for the whole gift giving tradition, it would undoubtably sway the vote its way). However, all that being said, I just can’t quite get excited for it because I can’t help but feel that it’s all gone a little too commercial, and child-like. I completely agree that the holiday should be for all ages, but do we really need to celebrate it with plastic tacky decorations and cutesy treats?

I think this holiday should be all about celebrating what made me fall in love with this macabre genre in the first place. Which is embracing the quirky, exploring your curiosity and more importantly, enjoying the rollercoster ride of fear and built up anticipation that all great horror movies bring with them. Add that to a great storyline, or psychological mind games, and you’ve got the makings of an excellent horror movie.

So, that’s why I’ve decided to compile an article celebrating the Top 12 movies, that stray a tad from the norm and boring overly used plot lines. Get in the mood this week and check some of these brilliant titles out!

The Orphan

The plot centres around a rather wholesome family, who have recently undergone an unfortunate  tragedy, namely the mother losing her baby. However, to try and turn this awful turn of events into a positive one, and fill their undoubtable parental urge to nurture, they decide to adopt a child.

Cabin in the Woods

This movie is an amazingly meta-movie, considering the reputation of the genre, it proves that not all greats have to be slasher fests with little to no plot line. It’s capable of being funny, strange and scary – frequently all at the same time. Seriously, just watch it. I’m not even going to give anything away, that’s how good it is.

Shutter Island

This falls more underneath Psychological thriller rather than downright horror itself, which may make it a better choice for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, the storyline is fantastic and deserves a spot on the list for its creepy elements. The plot follows a detective investigating the disappearance of a patient within the enclosed Mental Hospital, as the story progresses, the truth begins to unravel along with it and become ever more evident.

Old Boy

I’ll be discussing the fantastic recent remake, as this is the one I’ve actually watched. The plot centres around a man who is imprisoned for 20 years. No joke, 20 long painful years of captivity, with not one inkling of an idea why. Hell bent on vengeance, and rightfully so, the protagonist wants answers. Nothing is as it seems in this movie, and the ending is one of the most bone chilling realisations that I’ve ever had after watching a film.   

The Mist

This Stephen King adaptation, brings with it mixed reviews, but in my humble opinion is a phenomenal take on society in a minority. The story focuses around a rather ambiguous and frightening mist, which engulfs the town, causing a small group of individuals to take refuge in a grocery shop. The interaction between characters, and the roles they adapt to for survival is what I find fascinating about this film. Also, the last 5 minutes are truly heartbreaking.

The Awakening

This story follows a young woman, whose profession includes hoax exposing and applying science to the inexplicable. However, her doubts start to become evident and her unwavering beliefs begin to unravel once visiting a Boarding School, where one student has been recently found dead. The twist in this one, may seem a bit far fetched for some, however, I love the ambiguous ending and that it’s really up to your own interpretation. I feel that more movies should adopt this, rather than providing an unsatisfying ending.

The Others

I’m going to have a little bit honest here and confess, this is the only movie I haven’t actually watched myself on the list. That being said, it came up on countless lists as I was doing my research, and I felt unjust leaving it out. It’s based around a mother who lives in an old house with her two photosensitive children who become convinced that their family home is haunted.

Devil

Considering that most of this film is filmed inside an elevator around a group of trapped individuals, you could easily see how the movie might not be all that exciting. However, it manages to be the exact opposite, and is really quite astounding. Somehow it manages to take a refreshing and an unexpected turn to the traditional, who-do-it plot, which leaves you guessing right till the last moment.

[REC]

This movie takes an interesting first person perspective, which can be annoying in some instances, but somehow it manages to pull it off excellently in this case. The entire film is being captured as if the reporter and cameramen were actually recording as they explore what is lurking in the dark apartment building, and due to this, manages to build up anticipation and fear brilliantly. This is also in Spanish, and yes I do realised this is starting to become a common occurrence within this list, but I do thoroughly believe that movies don’t necessarily need to come straight out of Hollywood to be great, and this proves it.

Pan’s Labyrinth

This made the list, not because of any plot loops or fancy twirls, but due to the extremely whimsical feel to it. This film is more of a mixture between fantasy and horror, and it’s astoundingly captivating and at times, pretty damn terrifying. The story follows a young girl who may or may not be the mythical princess of an underground kingdom. Does she simply have an overly active imagination or is it all real? I’ll let you decide.

(Sorry guys, there is no english version with this one, however, if you’ve ever seen a Guillermo del Toro movie, you’ll know its worth putting up the subtitles)

Let the Right one In / Let Me In

A refreshing take on an over used and slightly ridiculed theme in the horror film genre. This movie revolves around two pre-teens who find comfort in one another due to their rather bleak lives, and begin to develop a strange but mesmerising friendship. One of which, just so happens to be a vampire, but it’s not the central theme in the movie, strangely enough. (It’s available, in both English and Swedish. I had watched the original in Swedish because I quite like foreign movies, and it was fantastic, however, I’ve heard the remake is just as good!)

28 Days Later

I just had to put a zombie movie in the list, I mean, no horror list is complete without one really! That being said, out of the countless ones I’ve watched, this is by far one of my favourites. It’s got a captivating plot line, and a smart take on what mankind would actually resort to if an outbreak were to occur. Everything from how the infection spreads, to showing humanity’s reaction is eerily believable, and that’s exactly what makes it great in my opinion.

The post Top 12 Horror Movies, with a Twist appeared first on The Third Eye.