Banijay Formats Raise Awareness About Domestic Abuse

Banijay is aiming to raise awareness around domestic abuse through two new formats: Crimes of Passion, an original production by La Bastoggi, and Love You to Death, from Jarowskij.

Crimes of Passion has aired in Italy since 2007 and was also broadcast in Spain on Telecinco. This 120-minute format centers around femicide and each episode utilizes retellings to focus on one woman who was killed and the narrative of her family and close friends, as opposed to the judicial system. The women are the victims of obsessive love, violence and, ultimately, murder. The docu-fiction format mixes news footage, real footage, reconstructions and testimonies to bring to life the devastating impact domestic violence has on both the victims and those around them.

The 6×30-minute Love You to Death is set for SVT and highlights the variations of abuse numerous women are subjected to from those they are in close relationships with. The testimonies promote awareness around habits that occur over longer periods, as the diversity of those affected. Focusing on the survivors, the format includes their retellings of events, reconstructions, authentic images, trial recordings, private photos and movies to illustrate each woman’s narrative.

Both formats are now available from Banijay Rights.

Carlotta Rossi Spencer, head of format acquisitions at Banijay, said: “These formats shed light on an incredibly serious topic and issue facing millions of women around the world. As a large global player, we must take responsibility for highlighting the gravity and commonality of this issue and we hope both formats will prove valuable options for clients looking to raise awareness.”