Serbian woman's year of domestic violence' IS IT REAL ???

Fresh-faced and strikingly pretty, the girl staring into the camera in the first clip from Jedna fotografija dnevno u najgoroj godini života (one photo a day in the worst year of my life) looks happy and confident.

By the last, she is a bruised, battered shell of her former self, holding a handwritten note that when translated reads: 'Help me. I don't know if I will get to see tomorrow.'

The identity of the Serbian woman featured in the film, shot over the course of 2012, is unknown and many have questioned the authenticity of the injuries and suspect the video may actually be part of a public education campaign.

Regardless, it has shocked the country and brought the issue of Domestic Violence back on to the national agenda.

Harrowing: The unnamed victim holds up a sign that reads: 'Help me. I do not know if I will see tomorrow'

Fresh faced: At the beginning, the woman looks happy and radiant but gradually, bruises start to creep in

The film, which went viral after being posted on the Reddit site, has generated hundreds of mostly supportive messages, although a couple question the veracity of the video.

 

Reddit user, Yarddogkodabear wrote: This looks like film make up. I'm not sure someone in this emotional state would be this dedicated to filming her face being beat.

'Another clue to it being make-up is the dramatized eyes and music flows with the edit. I'm sure that they just wanted to make a point against violence towards women.'

For others, however, whether the clip is real is irrelevant, with many saying that whatever the film's origin, the message is too important to be ignored.

HoneyNunches said: 'Overall it is a good message. Humans (male or female) who abuse others are some of the worse type of scum. 

'It's sad that an emotional connection often leaves people clinging to those who hurt them.'

Horrific: As the year unfolds, the woman's injuries get progressively more appalling

Despicable: By the last few scenes, the victim looks seriously injured, with a cut lip and badly damaged eye

Another, MulderFoxx, added: 'This life is far too short for anyone to put up with any kind of abuse. If you feel that your life is worse with a person around than it would be if you were alone, then it is time to leave. 

'Go to family, friends, shelters, but go. Leave. No one deserves happiness more than you. If your sister or your mother was in this situation you would fight for them. You would tell them to exit. Why not the same for yourself?' 

Domestic violence is a serious problem in Serbia, with an estimated 19,000 cases a year, according to local newspaper, Novosti.

The UN has also produced reports on the problem, which suggest that violence against women occurs on a scale unheard of in the UK. 

A UN funded survey last year showed that 54.2 per cent of women in Serbia, like the woman in the film, suffer from some form of domestic violence, with 90 per cent of the cases involving a male perpetrator.

Sadly, deaths from domestic violence are not uncommon. Shockingly, domestic violence victims account for a horrifying 30 per cent of all murders in Serbia - compared with just one per cent in the USA - according to Serbian government figures