The Work of Idanha Films

Lori Joyce, a Boulder producer of five film documentaries, is working on her sixth, entitled Shattered Lives-- Living on the Edge of Fear, a film that will focus on the damaging realities and widespread occurrence of domestic violence. "I began working on the concepts for Shattered Lives in April of 1994," Joyce says, "as a result of soul-searching that was centered around my own relationship choices and observing my daughters repeating the same self-destructive patterns."

In the early 1980s, before coming to Colorado, Joyce co-produced two documentaries featuring Jack and Joan Hemingway. For those two films, Joyce worked through a production company in Dallas, TX.

As a result of her earlier work in film, Joyce formed a non-profit corporation called Idanha Films, and she has spent the last three years transforming the company so that it will fit her vision. Joyce's mission for Idanha Films is to give a voice to those groups that are traditionally unheard, such as women, children, indigenous populations, and defenders of social justice and the natural environment.

Shattered Lives--Living on the Edge of Fear addresses adolescents, young adults, and the large population of mature men and women who believe that "it will never happen to me. "The one-hour documentary moves beyond the tabloid headlines to personalize the problem of domestic violence and to identify the individual and social attitudes that surround it. With music by Sarah McLachlan, Janis Joplin, and Enigma in the background, the audience follows stories of women seeking safety, assistance, and new lives for themselves and their children. Through the use of vivid descriptions and dramatic re-enactments (sic.), Joyce exposes the myths that enshroud the issue of violence in the home. As Joyce's subjects tell their stories, interview clips from experts support and extend the subjects' experiences. The comments of teens, young adults, and the uninformed people-on-the-street dramatically juxtapose the realities and misconceptions about America's secret and silent crime.

Joyce's previous films include In Remembrance of Martin, a documentary honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which aired nationally for three years on PBS and has been distributed through PBS Video to libraries and educational institutions across the country. "We will explore the same distribution routes for Shattered Lives," says Joyce. "It is my hope that this documentary be shown in schools, education is our best hope of breaking the cycle of abuse. Stylistically, (the film) is produced in a way which engages young viewers, and it directs its message not only to the victims but also the the perpetrators and to concerned citizens. It is our belief that this all-inclusive focus will serve to demonstrate each individual's responsibility for eliminating the tragedy of domestic violence."