“Everybody Knows” is a song by artist Kimbra which speaks to oppression, open to different interpretations of the theme. In the rework by Apothek and the accompanying music video, the oppression of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV) is explored.

Although not explicitly graphic, the video edges around a disturbing story of domestic violence. The narrative centers around an event: a woman is arriving home to her partner, slowly and with marked hesitation. Danger awaits: the man at home is already fuming about a message on her phone, in his possession, and is ready to confront her and erupt.

The video cuts back-and-forth in time, featuring the event itself, the aftermath of other instances of violence, as well as happier shared moments between them. The latter is important to include, highlighting how domestic violence is difficult to predict and can happen to anyone.

In the video description, Kimbra comments:

“This evokes heavy emotions and it’s not always easy to speak openly about the ways we experience oppression in our lives but I’m thankful that art is a way for us to see things anew… I think it’s important we use music to give us new (sometimes challenging) perspectives, thanks to the eyes that have courage to capture what we can’t always see so quickly for ourselves.”

If you believe that you or a loved one may be a victim, help is available:

Canada: https://endingviolencecanada.org/getting-help-2/
US: https://www.safehorizon.org/, 1-800-621-HOPE (4673)

TRIGGER WARNING: This video depicts fictional scenes of domestic violence.

Image Credits:
Feature Image: Claudia Soraya, On Unsplash, Creative Commons