South African Domestic Abuse Video Shocks Viewers (VIDEO)

A South African advocacy group's powerful ad about the realities of domestic abuse has become an Internet sensation, the Guardian is reporting.

Produced by People Opposing Women Abuse (or POWA), the experimental new video begins with a scene showing a young musician practicing on a drum set while at home in a Johannesburg apartment complex. Within minutes, miffed neighbors arrive at the man's doorstep and hand him a written warning for creating the noise. Later, a recording of a violent domestic dispute -- complete with sounds of glasses smashing and a woman's screams -- plays at maximum volume, yet none of the neighbors respond. The clip concludes with a stark message: "Every year 1,400 women are killed by their partners."

POWA officials say they were astonished at the lack of response to the violent recording. "We were astonished," Fran Luckin, the advertising executive who created the film, told the Guardian. "People complained about the drums within minutes...I think nobody really believes that someone dies in a domestic argument."

Attracting over 500,000 views, the video's surge in popularity reportedly comes on the heels of a disturbing survey conducted in South Africa's Gauteng province, which found 37.4% of local men admitting to at least one act of rape.

Watch the full POWA clip here: