The Walk is a three-minute film that was released on International Women’s Day 2025 and has amassed 500,000 views on Instagram.
The Walk follows a woman, played by Lizabeth Venezia, who narrates her thoughts and experiences as she walks home at night. She uses the walk to tell the audience about the fears and counter any potential proposals that could be made.
The Walk was a simple film, but it obviously struck a chord if it amassed so many views so quickly. The short was made to be a statement. It was inspired by the Sarah Everard murder since she was attacked when going home at night. It was a predominately female project since all the creatives and most of the crew were women. It was made in collaboration with the charity Strut Safe, which operates a free support phone line for women travelling alone. Even though the film was about a serious subject, Venezia’s performance had a lightness, but her exasperation occasionally broke through.
On a certain level, I can relate with the plight of the main character. Walking at night can be scary and led me to be wary that I could be mugged. The woman described holding her keys as a potential weapon for self-defence and the fear of going in a taxi, and when I was in college and university, I did hear some women have similar experiences. However, as a man, I can only relate so far to the experiences women have. I am less likely to suffer from sexual harassment or being objectified. The Walk did its job and raised awareness.
The Walk does come across as an advert/public service announcement. I’m saying this as a positive since I could picture it playing on commercial breaks on TV or streaming or being played at schools and universities. It could teach girls about some misconceptions like methods of self-defence, and definitely teach boys about their behaviour. It can counteract the current wave of misogyny in youth culture since it can show some of the potential consequences of this culture.
The Walk is a micro-short that conveys its message. Looking at the Instagram comments, plenty of women have stated that the short was too relatable.
