A heavy silence filled Kurland Hall as the Office of Equity and Compliance (EOC) screened “Survivor Made,” a documentary about survivors of domestic abuse, on Tuesday.

The film followed the story of six survivors after leaving their abusers, focusing on Gifted by Freefrom, a brand they created to regain financial freedom and help others who may be in similar living situations. It focused not on what they had been through, but on what they had made of their lives in the aftermath.

Assistant Director for Outreach, Prevention and Education Suzannah Rogan organized the event to provide a space to build empathy for those who have survived domestic violence and to learn about life skills and resources available on campus.

“I think I try to approach it from a space of hope and joy, and I know that that sometimes sounds very strange when we’re talking about such difficult topics,” said Rogan. “But I think when we have the opportunity to dream of what could be different, it gives us a pathway or provides a marker of where we want to go.”

The screening was sponsored by Premier America Credit Union, which is also hosting an Economic Abuse and Financial Literacy series in collaboration with the EOC to help students at CSUN who may be victims of abuse regain control of their finances and learn how to manage money.

Financial inclusion and education officer for Premier, Alfredo Martinez, explained that the unlikely partnership stemmed from a connection between financial abuse and domestic violence. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 99% of domestic abuse cases include financial abuse.

“Economic means there’s a way to hold control over somebody, and when you have control, there’s things like fear, there’s trauma, financial violence,” said Martinez. “And so the connection really is if we can give people power and give people opportunity to access, maybe we can improve their financial wellness and well-being.”

Following the screening, there was a panel discussion hosted by Cinema and Television Arts Professor Judith Korin. It included members from the EOC, Campus Care, Premier America Credit Union and the director of Gifted by Freefrom, Ana Zimmermann. They discussed the quotes from the film, as well as how it ties into their own personal stories of being survivors and building safe spaces.

Campus Care Advocate Emily Arana was in attendance for the screening and thought the stories were “very inspirational and moving.” She took inspiration from the panel resources and plans to apply them to her own job as an advocate.

“One thing that I really liked that one of them said was, like, ‘As long as you’re breathing, you can keep fighting like you can still make it,’” Arana said. “I feel like that statement alone was very powerful. … I feel like we all have something that can ignite that spark to overcome any situation.”

For students who may be experiencing domestic violence and looking for support, Campus Care advocates, Klotz Student Health Center and University Counseling Services at CSUN are available as a confidential resource and do not report to CSUN.

Identity centers such as the Pride Center and the DREAM Center are also available. They follow mandated reporting guidelines and may report to the EOC, but do not file legal reports with police.

Rogan said there is a large number of resources available in Los Angeles both on and off campus, and anyone who may be scared to take those first steps can find the support they need on their own timeline.

“There isn’t a set timeline of how they need to speak to somebody, or how, you know, they decide if they want to leave or how they decide if they want to share their story,” Rogan said. “So giving them space to breathe and think through what is the most healing thing for them.”

Rogan also shared encouraging words to those living through domestic abuse and emphasized that they do not have to go through it alone.

“This, unfortunately, is something that is too common in our society, and they shouldn’t feel any shame or blame themselves at all, right? The person who is causing harm is always the person responsible,” Rogan said.

To access a full list of resources, locate the “Confidential Resources” tab on the EOC website, or visit them on site in room 220 of the Campus Store Complex.