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Interact Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary With Victims' Documentary

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RALEIGH, N.C. — A Wake County institution that has helped thousands of domestic violence victims is turning 20 years old. To celebrate the milestone,

Interact

, with the help of volunteers, has produced a powerful documentary.

One of the people in the film is Chris Williams, who said he and his sister, Tianna Williams, were as close as a brother and sister could be.

"I would do anything to protect her because I knew she was special," said Chris Williams.

However, Chris could not protect her from everything. Tianna graduated from Meredith College in 2002. She was on her way to medical school, but that summer, her boyfriend, Ronald Hendricks, beat her to death with a chair.

"I'm just losing my mind. I cannot believe that my sister is dead. Somebody, please tell me this is a joke, a dream," Chris said.

For 10 years, home was a dangerous place for Tanish Bagley. A decade of abuse ended when Bagley's husband was convicted of kidnapping and raping her.

"It is something that goes on every day, all day unfortunately, and there's not enough in my opinion being done about it," Bagley said.

Many victims of domestic violence are taking that reality to the big screen in a new documentary called "Something So Beautiful." Filmmakers said they hope people who see the movie will walk away with more than just tears in their eyes. They hope people will walk away with a plan of action to stop domestic violence.

The Rialto Theater, located on 1620 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, is holding two special screenings Thursday of the film.

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