How long does it take for neighbours to respond to beating sounds?
This is a real social experiment. No part of it has been staged.
Beat. explores the ominous silence surrounding domestic violence. The video is a prompt to societies that react to any loud noise, as long as it is not caused by a domestic dispute or abuse.
“In many post-communist societies, and beyond, it is common for neighbours to react to any loud noise, as long as it is not related to a domestic dispute or abuse – as domestic violence is seen as a “private matter”, says Yana Buhrer Tavanier, Director of Fine Acts.
Beat. is a project by Maksim Stoimenov (drummer) and Peruna Keremidchieva (developer), produced by Fine Acts. It is the winner of our first Act Lab - unique events that explore the intersection of human rights, art and technology.
“Abuse thrives in silence and we can end it only by pointing it out and talking about it,” say Stoimenov and Keremidchieva. “We played with the idea that people will react to loud music, but will shy away from taking any action when it comes to the sound of domestic abuse. The experiment shines a light on us as a society and gives us the space to reflect on how we would act.”
The video has already been seen over 200 000 times.
Watch, learn more and see how to get involved.