Belly of the Beast

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Belly of the Beast

Released Oct 16, 2020

1h 22m

Documentary

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100%

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17 Reviews

83%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Ex-convict Kelli Dillon files a lawsuit after doctors perform an unauthorized hysterectomy on her while she is in prison.

Sarah Marloff

Austin Chronicle

Visually, the first half of the film provides eye-catching contrasts - expansive green fields and semi-trucks, bright days and dark early mornings, inside versus outside.

Rated: 3.5/5

Nov 16, 2020

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Katie Walsh

Tribune News Service

At once a thrilling legal drama and heartbreaking depiction of devastating human rights violations that you can't imagine happening in the 21st century.

Nov 15, 2020

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Lovia Gyarkye

New York Times

"Belly of the Beast" does not reach for happy endings and is most absorbing in its thesis, which makes the stakes of this battle against human rights violations loud and clear.

Oct 15, 2020

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Rob Aldam

Backseat Mafia

Cohn does a great job of highlighted a horrendous injustice, demonstrating how this exploitation takes place and following the brave women campaigning for change.

Mar 18, 2021

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

The 82-minute film sheds light on the brutality of mass incarceration, a symptom of the vast social inequality in America.

Feb 10, 2021

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Chris Barsanti

PopMatters

Belly of the Beast is an effective introduction to a current issue many viewers would imagine was consigned to the past.

Feb 2, 2021

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Audience Member

Belly of the Beast is a stunning achievement in the documentary space, and an incredibly powerful story about the resilience of the human spirit. This artistic and emotional project revealed human rights abuses towards women in California prisons, and it clearly and journalistically shows what can happen right under our noses in a very successful state. I grew up in California and I was stunned, and horrified, to hear these stories about forced sterilization. This film was thought-provoking, it was horrifying to discover what these women experienced, and it was deeply inspiring to see the survivors challenge the system. The good news is, these women fought the system and won. This documentary and the women featured in it exposed the issues, and the state of California was held accountable, and recently paid reparations. I can't recommend this film enough. It's a true story of women overcoming incredible obstacles, and speaking out to those in power.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

Sickening and important.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Erika Cohn

Director

Erika Cohn

Producer

Nicole Docta

Producer

Christen Hepuakoamana'a Marquez

Producer

Angela Tucker

Producer

Geralyn White Dreyfous

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

Ex-convict Kelli Dillon files a lawsuit after doctors perform an unauthorized hysterectomy on her while she is in prison.

Director: Erika Cohn
Producer: Erika Cohn, Nicole Docta, Christen Hepuakoamana'a Marquez, Angela Tucker
Distributor: PBS
Production Co: Idle Wild Films, Black Public Media, ITVS International, Fork Films, Tribeca Film Institute
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2020, Limited
Release Date (DVD): Oct 6, 2020
Runtime: 1h 22m