14 DAY TRIAL // At the beginning of the month, the media picked up on an anti-domestic violence ad that starred British actress Keira Knightley and went under the dubbing “The Cut” or “Cut: The Movie.” It showed the star in a posture she had never experienced before – that of a woman physically abused by her boyfriend – and it did so in the most graphic and disturbing images, for which reasons, Britain’s watchdog Ofcom has now decided it will never run on TV, The Sun says.
Directed by John Wright, the advert was something that Keira did voluntarily for the Women’s Aid organization, to raise awareness on the fact that as many as two women die every week from injuries sustained at the hands of their partners. Because of this, she too felt that the ad needed to be as close to real as possible, meaning, to show her lying on the floor, trying to protect herself from being kicked in the stomach by her onscreen boyfriend.
As it happens, it was precisely this scene that bothered Ofcom, as well as the one in which the boyfriend slapped Keira so hard she hit the floor. What’s more disturbing, the media watchdog says, is that, as the camera pans out, the viewer has more than enough time to take the scene in – with Keira on the floor, being brutally kicked in the abdomen. Should Women’s Aid and the advertising agency Grey London agree to take out the most violent scenes, then perhaps the ad would stand a chance of getting air time on British television, it has been hinted.
Nevertheless, that would mean compromising and not sending the message across, a spokesperson from Grey London Advertising Agency tells the aforementioned publication. The entire ad is about violence against women, and taking the violence out of it would make the entire campaign redundant. Moreover, the idea behind the campaign was to create controversy and, in this sense, it has more than done its job, especially now that the ad has been banned.
“The reason we are still in conversation with Clearcast about it is because it is too violent. Part of the campaign is to raise awareness about domestic violence, and spark debate, which the advert has done, even if it doesn’t make it on television.” Chris Hirst, managing director of the agency behind “The Cut,” says. The ad continues to be available online, both on the official website of Women’s Aid and on countless other outlets.
Below is the entire ad. Some caution is advised due to some scenes of graphic violence.