Belly of the Beast
Film poster
Directed byErika Cohn
Music byOmar Fadel
Release date
  • June 11, 2020 (2020-06-11) (HRW)[1]
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Belly of the Beast is a 2020 documentary film by Erika Cohn about the illegal sterilization practices in the Central California Women’s Facility and other female penitentiaries. Made over a period of seven years, the 82-minute movie documents the fight of one inmate (Kelli Dillon) and her lawyer against the Department of Corrections.[2][3]

Their investigations inside prison, with assistance from outside allies, uncover statewide criminal practices ranging from poor healthcare, sexual abuse and assault, coercive sterilizations, and the targeting of women of color.[4]

The film was supported by the Tribeca Film Institute through the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund (2015), the TFI Network (2017), and the TFI Pond5 Program (Spring 2019).[5] 20% of proceeds from the film went to support the Women and Justice Project.[6]

Reception

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It was the Opening Night Film at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in 2020[7] and was named a New York Times Critic's Pick.[8] The Washington Post listed the film as "a movie to stream" in October 2020.[9] It was in the American Library Association's 2022 list of Notable Films for Adults.[10] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an aggregated score of 100% based on 17 critic reviews.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Belly of the Beast". ff.hrw.org. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  2. ^ "Belly Of The Beast (2020) Movie Review from Eye for Film". www.eyeforfilm.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  3. ^ "Belly of the Beast [Online]". Northwest Film Forum. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  4. ^ "Facets : Cinematheque Schedule: Belly of the Beast". www.facets.org. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  5. ^ "Tribeca Film Institute". www.tfiny.org. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  6. ^ "Belly of the Beast — maysles documentary center". mayslesdocumentary center. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  7. ^ "Human Rights Watch Film Fest 2020 Women Directors: Meet Erika Cohn – "Belly of the Beast"". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  8. ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (2020-10-15). "'Belly of the Beast' Review: Fighting for Incarcerated Women". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  9. ^ "New Streaming Movie Roundup". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2020-10-15.
  10. ^ DALDERSON (2022-02-01). "ALA Film and Media Round Table announces 2022 Notable Films for Adults". News and Press Center. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  11. ^ "Belly of the Beast". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

External links

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