Danny MAlin is a Canadian Director who grew up in Pointe-Claire, Montreal. His most recent work, a film titled “I Promised”, is about domestic violence in a relationship. But it has an unusual twist. In this film, the victim is the man in the relationship. Although domestic abuse can happen to men or women, men are often shamed into staying quiet about their experience. It’s not often portrayed in media, but MAlin is helping to put a stop to that.
MAlin’s film is based on a true story- his own story. He’s passionate about bringing about awareness for this issue because of what he went through. MAlin explained that this time of his life was the lowest he had ever been. He said,” It was the lowest place I met in my life, and a couple people laughed at me while I lived through it, it is something a person cannot understand unless they live through it, and so this message does not apply to those who have not experienced it, it is more the light at the end of the tunnel for those who need help.”
Facing ridicule at the moment when he needed support, MAlin needed help from someone…anyone. He went to a CLSC and asked for help, but was turned away. He even ended up inflicting self-harm. He explained, “She brought so much rage out of me, and I would never hurt anyone else, so I took it out on myself.”
This inspired MAlin to make a film about his experience. Creating the film was no easy task. But MAlin persisted, and he now has the finished products. It’s even a semi-finalist in the Los Angeles Cinefest film festival. However, MAlin is hoping to reach an even larger audience, and is on the lookout for other opportunities to share his movie with the world. You can check out a teaser here:
MAlin does have a message to share with the world. He said, “If there is any message I could pass along…there is a solution to every problem, some people are just not right for each other, we are not born to be care takers, and taking care of someone who has an illness takes a really strong person.”
If you’re interested in helping Danny get into more film festivals, check out his Indiegogo campaign.
