Left Write Hook, a unique support group in Melbourne, combines boxing and writing to help survivors feel empowered – and is the subject of a punchy new documentary
In a Melbourne gym, a group sits huddled in a circle, sharing secrets they have carried with them since childhood. One woman reveals the fear that would set in as her parents’ car disappeared down the driveway of her grandfather’s home, leaving her in his care. Another recalls the therapist who cautioned her against disclosing what had happened to her, as the story was “too much, too awful” to hear. Some reflect on the way their trauma silently reverberated as they grew older: an eating disorder in their teen years, or a fear of sex as an adult.
Then they start boxing.