Left Write Hook (feature documentary film)

"Left Write Hook" follows seven survivors of childhood sexual abuse as they participate in an innovative recovery program designed by Donna Lyon, a boxing coach, academic, and survivor herself. This program uniquely combines boxing and creative writing to address both the physical and emotional impacts of trauma. Initially planned as an eight-week program, it evolves over eighteen months into a transformative journey for the participants. The documentary offers intimate and privileged access to the participants' experiences, capturing their resilience, expression, and healing. "Left Write Hook" redefines what it means to be a survivor of childhood sexual abuse in Australia through a participatory model of collaboration, where the film itself becomes a part of the recovery process. Participants use the documentary to further "speak out," complementing their writing and boxing. The film's narrative is structured around the Left Write Hook program, interweaving individual character journeys and backstories. The filmmakers' unique access and participatory methodology allow participants to explore embodied ways of sharing their writing, ensuring their stories are told with agency and ownership. Each participant's journey is unique, allowing specific themes to emerge naturally. The creative team, in early collaboration with the University of Melbourne's Creativity & Wellbeing Hallmark Research Initiative, ensured participant wellbeing was central to the project. The project emerged as an interdisciplinary research study between creative practice and psychology researchers, which underwent rigorous University ethics approval. This provided research evidence of the program's positive wellbeing outcomes, published in peer-reviewed journals. This creative practice research study contributes to the growing body of research on embodied therapies as effective recovery tools for survivors of childhood trauma. "Left Write Hook" is a powerful and timely exploration of resilience, expression, and healing, demonstrating the profound impact of innovative, embodied modalities on survivors of childhood sexual abuse.