New indie film targets sex abuse

Former Kauai resident Cordelia Bailey is in the news.

Her Dallas-based company, Pono Productions, has released “Revenge in Kind,”a feature-length movie filmed in Dallas. She authored the police thriller which is directed by Roger Lindley.

“Revenge in Kind” addresses one of today’s most important social topics — sexual abuse — in a way that both intrigues viewers and stimulates discussion. The detective thriller is a murder story with a surprising twist.

Stumped by sex crimes, Detective Chris Coxon turns to police psychologist Sarah Scott for help. As their relationship evolves, he must deal with Scott’s complicated personal history, a wrenching experience that forces him to challenge his most basic assumptions about morality and justice. At last the murders are solved, but Coxon is forever changed by both the process and the unexpected answer.

“I wanted this film to be entertaining, but also so intellectually interesting that it prompts people to start conversations after watching it,” said Bailey. “‘Revenge in Kind’ will take audiences for a ride and cause them to question where to draw the line between self-administered justice and traditional law enforcement. Additionally, I think it is appealing because the protagonist is a strong woman, something we need more of in film today.”

The influence of Bailey’s 13 years in Hawaii shows. One of the lead characters is a native of Hawaii who wears aloha shirts throughout the film and has aloha spirt. Bailey also wanted to have some of the background music feature the ukulele so she chose two pieces by Maui musician Andrew Molina to be included in the film’s score.

Bailey holds a doctorate degree in political science from the University of Illinois and has managed many large-scale programs and budgets for the U.S. government and private sector. She worked in the U.S. State Department Arms Control &Disarmament Agency where she specialized in nuclear weapons non-proliferation.

Since 1999, Bailey has been a full-time artist and author. Her fiction is penned under K.C. Bailey and non-fiction is penned under Kathleen C. Bailey. As a photographer and artist, she uses her middle name, Cordelia.

“In the course of my life, I have been many things — waitress, teacher, Ph.D. graduate, author, even deputy assistant secretary of state,” said Bailey, former president of the Kauai Society of Artists. “Woven throughout, regardless of what I was doing to earn a living, there has been a thread of art.”

“Revenge in Kind” runs for one hour, 29 minutes.