Women's Aid: More Than Bruises

Women’s Aid has released a powerful new film which juxtaposes an emotional performance from Captain America actress Hayley Atwell with the real-life story of a domestic abuse survivor.

In the docu-style film, written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams through RSA Films, Atwell goes into character as a woman who has been physically attacked by her partner. The camera follows her detached professionalism through hair and makeup before she finally arrives on set and reveals the emotional impact of the abuse is more than just bruises. 'It took a professional make-up artist two hours to create Hayley Atwell's injuries', runs the text on screen, before cutting to a photo of Women’s Aid’s Survivor Ambassador, Becky O'Brien. 'It took Becky O'Brien's partner 20 seconds to cause hers.'

The release of the ad coincides with research published by the Office of National Statistics stating that an estimated 1.3 million female victims in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2018.