Alison Botha's story continues to bring hope to survivors of violence, their families, and anyone facing adversity, writes Sue de Groot It is almost 22 years since Alison Botha (pictured) was abducted, raped, stabbed multiple times and left for dead in Port Elizabeth. Since then, hearing her story has helped countless people find light in the darkest places.Botha's book, I Have Life, has been translated into seven languages and has remained on Penguin's bestseller list since it was first published in 1998. It has just been re-released with an updated chapter to coincide with the release of the first full-length film version of this remarkable woman's story.Director Uga Carlini of Cape-based Towerkop Creations has wanted to make a film of Botha's story since she attended one of her motivational talks in 1999."Alison's story is so uplifting," said Carlini. "This connection she has with people, her honesty. Something so bad happened to her but she turns it around and shows you it's not about that."story_article_left1Carlini prefers to call her work a "hybrid film" rather than a documentary. It combines re-enactments of Alison's ordeal by actors with segments in which those involved in real-life events - from the student who found Alison on the road to doctors, policemen, prosecutors and a judge - relate their experiences of the horrific crime, its aftermath, and how Botha turned it into a way of helping others.The film could have been a true-crime drama, but Carlini and Botha have steered away from that. The grisly details of the crime are not glossed over, but the emphasis is on the indomitable spirit of Botha, on camera for much of the film, as survivor.Subtle filmic devices, such as Alison opening the book of her life, draw the viewer, like Alice, into a dark vortex which is no Wonderland. But, like Alison, we emerge on the other side into a world that still contains happiness, dreams and butterflies.On the heels of the film, Botha and Carlini have conscripted a number of local celebrities to be part of #thebutterflyrevolution, a social media campaign with the ethos that every act, no matter how small, can change the world for the better.This triumphant tale is on our screens during Women's Month, but as Botha says, her message is not only for women and not only for those who have lived through a violent assault: it is for anyone needing a little courage and hope in their lives.'Alison' will be in selected Nu Metro theatres from August 12...