WHEN MISCARRIAGE IS A CRIME.
In many countries, abortion remains an important human right. Then there are places like El Salvador where inhumane laws give authorities the possibility to lock up women for exercising that right; in some extreme cases, you can be sent to prison on murder charges because of a miscarriage, all sanctioned by an uncaring Catholic Church. This documentary follows Teodora Vásquez who’s spent ten years behind bars, as her case reaches the courts once again and gets international recognition from organizations like Amnesty. Her journey to freedom is compelling, not least because Vásquez herself and her family make us care. The film as a whole is straightforward and unremarkable, but the subject matter infuriating.
2021-Sweden-El Salvador. 89 min. Color. Written and directed by Cecilia Escher.
Trivia: Alternative title: The Seventeen.
