film

Defending Our Lives

User Rating
Producer(s)Margaret Lazarus, Renner Wunderlich, Stacey Kabat
Director(s)Margaret Lazarus, Renner Wunderlich
Release Date1980
Runtime42 min
Youth Median
Educational Materials Yes

Film Description

      The 1994 winner of the Academy Award for Short Documentary, “Defending Our Lives” addresses the magnitude and severity of domestic violence in the United States. The film features the tragic personal testimonies of four women imprisoned for killing their batterers. Each of these women tells her own horrific tale of beatings, rape, and torture at the hands of her husband or boyfriend. These women were forced to defend their lives, and this documentary captures the cruel irony of putting them behind bars once they have finally escaped their abusers.
      “Defending Our Lives” aims to educate people about domestic violence and to spur legislative and judicial reform. It is appropriate for people working on any aspect of this issue, including general education, legal reform, police training, advocacy, counseling, activism, and community education.

Official Sitehttp://www.cambridgedocumentaryfilms.org
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Related IssuesCriminal Justice, Family & Society, Gender/Women, Violence against women, Health/Health Advocacy, Women's Health, Human Rights, Romany, Middle East