Minister for Equality and Feminism, Tania Verge; Presented by the President of the Catalan Film Academy, Judith Collel, and the lawyer Carla Val Guidance protocol for the prevention and treatment of sexual and homophobic violence in the audiovisual sector. It is a pioneering text in the country agreed upon with the sector that provides a working model and approach with guarantees of non-recurrence to ensure comprehensive reparation for people affected by physical, psychological, sexual or digital violence.
The document’s promoters realize that the commitment of Catalan production companies to the protocol will simplify the procedures for activating the investigation, and at the same time means a commitment to transparency and ensuring the implementation of the established preventive measures.
The document responds to the criteria set by the Framework Protocol for Intervention with Due Diligence in Cases of Gender-Based Violence, which was approved by the government in 2022 and promoted by the Equality and Feminist Organization, which coordinates between departments to end institutional violence against women. .
“I finish”
“We want it to be a reference document with clear and strict standards in prevention and compensation measures for such acts of violence, and thus provide a practical guide for all companies and all professionals in this sector in our country. We call for the adoption of this protocol and strict adherence to its application,” they noted. “Transforming the sector into a space Safe, respectful and equal is a collective mission that requires everyone’s participation.
“These acts of violence and the abuse of power that support them have become normalized,” he noted. Tanya Verge. “It is about casting doubt on the testimony of victims and excusing unacceptable behaviour. Impunity in the face of a serious human rights violation that directly affects people’s dignity, freedom and safety, limits their professional and personal opportunities, and perpetuates an unequal and unjust power structure is over.”
He explained, “In order for us to be able to achieve safe audiovisual services for everyone, prevention must be a goal from the beginning of the project.” Judith Colell, which noted the participation of professionals and entities from the audiovisual world in the entire process of drafting the Guide Protocol. “For us, sector participation was a requirement indispensable For work, because it was about making a really useful tool,” added the Academy President.
“We adapted the base to the movements that were already occurring in the sector,” he noted. Carla Val. “We are not only thinking about the most dangerous behaviors, but rather we are talking about symbolic behaviors that have just begun. The focus of structural prevention is to start creating a change in awareness. This does not depend exclusively on the victim, and does not necessarily mean activating a criminal complaint,” the lawyer specializing in criminal cases answered. Gender-based violence.
Judith Collel, Tanya Verge and Carla Vale during the show [foto: Departament d’Igualtat i Feminismes].
Temporal, travel, risk factors
The protocol indicates, in general, that the film industry is characterized by the temporality of its projects and the movement of professionals from one production to another. In addition, there are often long filming days with overnight stays or trips with overnight stays outside the usual place of residence.
“The fragmentation of work and the specific characteristics of the sector are a risk factor for concealing and silencing cases of sexual violence, homophobia, gender-based violence and any other type of mistreatment,” he points out. In this context, it is the production and directing departments that have the most leadership during filming and, therefore, the ones that bear the “greatest amount of cross-departmental responsibility.”
In any case, it should be noted that the production company is responsible for taking specific preventive measures and activating the handling committee in the event that one of the persons it has appointed contacts you.
Incorporate reference persons
Proactive prevention, which is the main focus of the text, is understood as a set of permanent measures prior to the observation of violent behavior. Its ultimate purpose is “structural feminist transformation that aims to eliminate those systemic factors that perpetuate sexual stereotypes and the contextual causes that support sexual violence.”
The protocol stipulates the training of resource persons during filming, preparation for detecting cases, receiving them and referring them to the care service, in addition to a set of awareness-raising activities at the beginning of production targeting all people who are part of a project. The Academy will periodically and free of charge provide these training courses specifically designed for the audiovisual sector, which aim to train team leaders to be able to carry out detection and reception tasks.
Secondly, the text also emphasizes comprehensive reparation, with the application of preventive and precautionary measures to specific cases, effective and inoffensive, of a legal, economic, social, labor, health and educational nature, which focus on the simultaneity of non-recurrence and the purpose of recovery.
Specialized boarding committees
The guide specifies work procedures, which are not conditional on submitting a criminal complaint, as they begin by submitting a report or request to activate the procedure by the affected person, a third witness to the behavior, or any other person who had knowledge of it. the situation. This may also be done by the victim welfare service or, ex officio, by the management of the organisation, as long as it has the consent of the victim. It is mandatory when dealing with minors or people in a particularly vulnerable situation, and must respect at all times the principles of confidentiality, independence and prompt decision-making of people who have experienced this situation.
Once the procedure is requested to be activated, within a maximum period of three days, an investigation committee dedicated to each case must be established and composed of three persons with a specialized file on male violence and homophobia. With a multi-faceted perspective, preferably external to the company where the incident occurred: two people from the psychological and legal fields, respectively, and one person specialized in the audiovisual field with experience in photography.
Addressing the case may include injunctive, remedial, or disciplinary action, with penalties that may include employment and wage suspension, disciplinary dismissal, or exclusion from individual award nominations, among others. At some point, the document includes specific recommendations for communicating with the media.
Action and prevention throughout the process
The presented guide protocol covers all stages of the audio-visual process. In the run-up to filming, he stressed the “utmost precision” of the intimate scenes in the script and especially the protection of the cast, a “delicate” moment as the images would be secret, and it would not be possible to request a full shoot. Nude and intimate intimacy will be provided if the scene requires simulated sex. The document notes that both the casting and rehearsal process, two phases that “contain notable power structures and an element of vulnerability and subordination,” should take place in a professional setting and during business hours, never in a hotel room or private home.
For the filming phase, the script is considering specific measures in the case of intimate scenes, where the incorporation of the intimacy coordination section will be mandatory and a shortened set protocol will have to be applied, also for scenes that are calculated with children or teenagers. Particular attention is paid to sections that are traditionally masculine (art) or feminine (fashion, make-up, hairstyling) where abuse of power, disdainful attitudes, and sexist, racist, or objectifying comments “often” occur.
Regarding the end of filming parties, premieres or participation in festivals and festivals, as a “working environment in which power structures continue to operate”, the Protocol also sets out specific guidelines, such as a space for reception and counseling in the event of suffering of any kind. Violence (purple dot), or training on spotting and responding to sexual and homophobic violence by organization staff.
Coordination number for intimacy
The protocol recognizes the form of coordination of intimacy and elevates it to its own section within the production structure. This new professional portfolio in the field of audiovisual and performing arts was conceived in the National Plan for the Prevention of Male Violence in Catalonia of the State of Catalonia, and will be organized as a reference figure in the rehearsals and filming of scenes related to sex and intimacy, based on a proposal for publication, training and accreditation currently in progress, entrusted to the Film Academy. .
The initiative, which has the technical support of Lola Clavo, the only intimacy coordinator with formal training in Catalonia, will review the tasks, capabilities, duties, limitations and references specific to this number in North America, the United Kingdom or Australia, with the aim of training and accrediting this professional profile in the Catalan audiovisual sector. .
Neix un servei contra els abusos en el sector audiovisual i de les arts escèniques
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