Southwest of Salem Lesbian Latinas Fight for Justice
Winner of a Peabody Award, a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Documentary, and a Critic's Choice Award for Best First Feature, SOUTHWEST OF SALEM excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez, four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas.
Using the women's home video footage from 21 years ago combined with recent verite footage and interviews, the film explores their personal narratives and their search for exculpatory evidence.
Together with attorneys, the film culminates with the women being released from prison to await their searing new exoneration hearings in San Antonio. As lesbian women of color, these women hold intersecting identities that make them the most vulnerable to incarceration. The film unravels the interplay of mythology, homophobia, and prosecutorial fervor that led to their indictment.
SOUTHWEST OF SALEM premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
Running Time
92 mins
Year
2016
Kanopy ID
2437178
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Comments (1)
Gripping story, a horrible reminder of how fallible the justice system is, particularly when bigotry and mass hysteria come into play. Well balanced between historical footage, interviews with the women and their families, and outside experts.