“Lateral violence” describes when members of an oppressed group become the oppressor by directing abuse to people of their own gender, culture, sexuality, or profession. Instead of directing their anger at the oppressor, these workplace or community aggressors direct their anger toward their peers or community members.² 

Lateral violence is related to internalized racism and it is an effect of colonization. “When a powerful oppressor has directed oppression against a group for a period of time, members of the oppressed group feel powerless to fight back and they eventually turn their anger against each other,” writes Jane Middleton-Moz, renowned author and professor of social work at the University of Toronto. Lateral violence manifests as toxic behaviours, intentional and unintentional, particularly in situations that are uncertain and volatile — which are qualities that are inherent to the entertainment and media industry.

Several Indigenous participants shared that they have been the targets of lateral violence in the film and television industry — a phenomenon their white colleagues and peers were unequipped to address or even recognize. 

One participant named lateral violence as the main barrier she faces as an Indigenous woman in the industry. “I've experienced a lot of lateral violence from my own people and I find it really difficult to engage with them. I can’t even describe how hard I have tried to work with a lot of my people,” she said. When seeking mentorship from Indigenous filmmakers who were already become established in the industry, she was denied. “They didn’t want me to rise up,” she said.

“Behind closed doors they don't talk to me. I have a lot of mentors who are Caucasian men, and you know what? They return my emails and phone calls, they guide me in this industry. I’ve asked for mentorship from my own people who are high up there, and I either don’t get the calls or emails answered.

“People outside my community are giving me love and there’s this group of people in my own community who are causing me grief and problems and talking about me. I don't want to work with them ever again and I have anxiety just seeing them.”

An Indigenous producer and executive also similar experiences of lateral violence as she was building her career. She noted that lateral violence was one of the impacts of the Canadian Indian residential school system. The perpetrators feel that “if they suffered, you should suffer.” This sentiment echoes Middleton-Moz’s explanation of their motivations: “When individuals feel inferior, inadequate and afraid, they take on the qualities of the oppressor as a way of acquiring strength and an illusion of power.”³

“It's taken me until 40 to realize that dynamic was playing out. They treated me like family, but the family is dysfunctional. I’ve raised funds and people have run off them. I'm getting to a place of forgiveness. It's taking me a long time to realize where that's coming from.” 

Lateral violence impacts all oppressed communities. Two participants, one South Asian and the other Indigenous, said getting respect from men from their own communities was a challenge they faced. 

“I still struggle with my recognition with the male producers on set. They take credit for my work, they take up more space than me, and they think they’re more important.” 

“Men from my community would try to sabotage my production or they would say they were gonna do something and not do it. It was very combative and confrontational. They did it behind my back and I ended up not working with any of them.”

Others highlighted the specific challenges of working with white women. “I’ve been finding it more challenging to work with white women,” one participant told us, “especially because they hide behind this kind of façade of looking out for and representing all women. But in my experience, they have only been upholding power structures.” Similarly, participants noted that many advocacy groups for women in the industry lack an intersectional approach and focus their efforts and resources on the interests of white women under the pretext of advocating for gender parity. Some participants suggested that these organizations actively caused harm to BIWOC both outside and within them.

“When I came into the industry, I was excited. I saw all these advocacy groups for women, and I bought into the rhetoric that they are a fantastic support for women. That changed over time, because I started to realize that those things were not true... At the end of the day, white feminism wins.”