A Documentary Designed to Catalyse Change

Unanswered Calls: A Documentary Designed to Catalyse Change

The Challenge: A critical gap existed in the systemic support available for Australia's youngest victim-survivors of domestic and family violence: children and young people. Following her 2024 Churchill Fellowship, Safe Steps CEO Dr. Chelsea Tobin needed to translate her global research into how other countries are tackling this issue into a catalyst for systemic reform in Ausyralia. The objective was to move beyond general awareness—utilising this research as a powerful advocacy tool to demand systemic reform and dedicated resources for children and young people.

The Solution: Operating as an end-to-end strategic design and production partner, we produced the documentary, Unanswered Calls, and advised on the surrounding impact and advocacy campaign. Grounded in the lived-experience stories of young victim survivors and intercut with sector experts, Unanswered Calls was strategically crafted to engage complex stakeholder groups. Beyond production, we brokered key strategic partnerships (including securing production and impact campaign funding from the Minderoo Foundation) to support the development and rollout of the impact strategy, which included community screenings, targeted campaigning, and media assets designed to drive engagement and audience activation.

The Impact: Unanswered Calls and the campaign successfully translated into real-world outcomes:

• High-Level Stakeholder Engagement: Engaged over 4,500 stakeholders, including 2,000+ ministers, commissioners, and judiciary members across six national premieres, plus an international presentation at the World Congress on Family Law & Children's Rights in Cambridge, UK.

• Community Screening Outcomes: Drove extensive grassroots mobilisation, receiving 160+ nationwide hosting requests and reaching 2,500+ attendees across 33 completed community events. Supported by the Community Screening Guide, the film is now actively utilised for panel discussions, professional development, and tertiary coursework across the health, education, legal, and social services sectors.

• Sector Funding Wins: The campaign served as a key advocacy tool contributing to a $180m joint Federal and Victorian Government investment into the domestic and family violence sector. Crucially, this included dedicated funding streams specifically for unaccompanied children and young people—directly aligning with the film's core call to action.

  (Below is the trailer for the film, as well as videos detailing the impact of the premieres in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Sydney).