David T. Pisarra

The Christmas tree is up at the Loews Hotel. The ribbons are out, the holiday songs are being piped onto the Promenade. And Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa are right around the corner. The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the inevitable increase in fights among family members.

The American Film Market was in town last week. They did their usual takeover of the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel for offices. It was a bit more intimate this year. I imagine the impact of the pandemic is still being felt across the globe in the production of movies. It’s a strong reminder of the losses we experienced as a planet, our humanity was at stake, and for the most part, we came together as a planet to do the right thing, but the impact is still being felt.

My goal every Domestic Violence Awareness month is to open up the conversation about DV, who perpetrates it, who facilitates it, and who benefits from it. The sad reality is that domestic abuse happens in far too many relationships, and that it is extremely misunderstood. Abusive behavior is far more than just physical abuse today. It is emotional, financial, psychological, sexual, and the latest addition to the litany of ways that humans are horrible to each other is coercive control.