Episode 1
Lifelong Scars Take a Lifetime to Heal
Orphaned at four after both parents died suddenly, she and her siblings were sent to live with a distant uncle—only to enter a nightmare of physical and sexual abuse. While her brothers endured beatings, she and her sister suffered in silence, trapped by fear of their towering, violent guardian. To survive, she built an imaginary “white brick house” around herself—a mental fortress with no doors or windows—where she could hide while her body was violated. For years, she scrubbed her skin raw in obsessive baths, longing to wash away the shame. A teenage suicide attempt became her unexpected lifeline, leading to escape, therapy, and hard-won healing. But the trauma remains locked deep—so deeply that even well-meaning questions can shatter her defenses and reignite the pain. Now a mother, she’s fiercely committed to breaking the cycle. Her message is clear: incest thrives in silence, and it’s up to all of us to protect the most vulnerable—because in a family that should offer safety, betrayal cuts deepest of all.
Narrator: Zoe & Gia Carides
Gia Carides - ACTOR
Gia Carides is an Australian film television and theatre actress who is known for her roles in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom, alongside Mike Myers in Austin Powers 2 as Robin Swallows. She is also known for her role as cousin Nikki in my Big Fat Greek Wedding one and two she is currently filming my Big Fat Greek Wedding three.
Gia was nominated for best supporting actress for Strictly Ballroom in the Australian AFI awards she was nominated again in the AFI awards for best actress in a lead role for Brilliant Lies a film based on a play written by David Williamson.
Zoe Carides - ACTOR
Zoe’s career has spanned four decades - on stage, screen and radio, here in Australia and internationally. Theatre highlights include Half Time with Nancye Hayes and Stefanie Jones, Blood Brothers with Chrissy Amphlett and Russell Crowe, Influence by David Williamson with John Waters, Tot Mom directed by Steven Soderbergh, Mike Leigh’s Greek Tragedy (Belvoir and Edinburgh Main Festival/ Theatre Royal Stratford East UK), and Stop The Virgens! with Karen O.
TV and film highlights include G.P., Grassroots, The Pacific, Janet King, Top of The Lake, Doctor Doctor, Rake, The Commons, Pieces of Her, Death In Brunswick, Brilliant Lies, Mystery Road, Alex & Eve, The PM’s Daughter, and most recently the Netflix thriller Interceptor.
A narrator of many audiobooks, she also paints, makes films and writes songs, releasing an album of her original material in 2018, as well as fronting a Nancy Sinatra tribute band.
Zoe was nominated for an AFI Award for Brilliant Lies by David Williamson, in which she starred with her sister Gia, who was also nominated. In 2005 Zoe won a Helpmann Award for her work in another David Williamson piece, Influence.