DORPIE wants to shine a light on the work of community activists such as Lana O’Neill. Despite the grim reality depicted in the documentary, the film seeks to inspire people to take action and support women who suffer from violence. DORPIE wants to spark a conversation around violence against women and girls (VAWG) and the underlying systemic issues that fuel VAWG.

Since 2023 and with the support of the NFVF/PESP, the Documentary Filmmakers’ Association of South Africa (DFA) as well as the Heinrich Böll Foundation we have been able to organise free community screenings throughout South Africa. The well attended screenings are followed by lively debates and, whenever possible, Lana O’Neill is present at the screenings. In August 2023 the Provincial Treasury of the Western Cape invited us to a screening and discussion. The GIZ South Africa hosted a DORPIE-screening for their staff during 16 days of activism in November 2023.

In October 2023 Lana O’Neill and Julia Jaki were invited as guest speakers at the UCT Sunshine Cinema Film Impact Short Course 2023, after which two of the course participants hosted screenings of DORPIE in their communities in Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town and in Durban. In November 2023 Lana and Julia attended a DORPIE-screening and Q&A in Stuttgart, Germany as part of the ‘Week of equality”-program hosted by the city of Stuttgart.

Through our partners ShareDoc and Just Human e.V. as well as private efforts we are able to regularly transfer donations to HeavenlyPromise48, the NPO that runs the safe house in Bredasdorp. These donations cover the salaries of a housemother and a social worker who offers regular counselling sessions to the women in the safe house. The donations allow the safe house to fund programs for women, visits to private medical doctors in cases of emergency as well as transport costs and other expenses.

At the end of 2023 the Heinrich Böll Fundation South Africa funded a week-long empowerment program for women, during which Lana and her team informed the participants about their rights and how to apply for a restraining order against a violent partner.

In DORPIE we see Lana waiting in vain for promised funding to host self defence classes, but in May 2024 we were able to organise a self defence workshop for 20 women and 20 girls in Bredasdorp - paid for by donations to the safe house and screening fees!

You watched DORPIE and would like to take action?

The safe house in Bredasdorp is the only one in the whole Overberg region of South Africa. Since its opening in 2015 Lana and her team have assisted more than 600 women. The safe house receives a fixed yearly amount from the Cape Agulhas municipality (R100 000 / 5000 Euros) to cover its operational costs, for everything else - petrol money, doctor’s visits, food - Lana and her team rely on private donations. South Africans can donate directly onto the ABSA account of the safe house and will receive a donation certificate for tax purposes. Viewers from oversees (Europe, US) can donate via our partner organisations, the German NGO “Just Human e.V.” and ShareDoc. Read more about them by clicking on the images below. We guarantee to forward 100% of all donations to the safe house.

Your donation is highly appreciated!